Friends, then?
by AddriannaDestiny
Summary: It has a been a very long and lonely summer for Caroline as everyone has either left town or started a new relationship after graduation. Now that the summer is over and college is about to start , Caroline finds herself closer to the one person she should be avoiding completely. Disclaimer: Story takes place after the season 4 finale.
1. Pilot

"Where do you want these?" April asked Caroline with a smile.

"The corn goes into that big table where all the drinks are." Caroline said looking up briefly from the table she was fixing. "The meat stays here because it's under the trees where the sun can't reach it." she smiled at April and looked up towards the table where she just directed the girl. Caroline pointed at it worried. "Wait… where are the drinks? Elena was in charge of them."

"I saw her leave with Damon an hour ago." April held the big bowl with the beautiful yellow corn closer to her chest. "But don't worry, I called Jeremy and he is on his way from The Grill."  
Caroline pressed her chest with a sigh. "Crisis under control."

April laughed. "Don't worry, this will be the best End of Summer Barbecue that Mystic Falls ever had."  
"You weren't around for the others." Caroline reminded her with a smile.

"I'm still sure of it." April walked away with a big smile.  
Caroline took a look around the square; everything looked perfect except for a few friends that were missing which was basically everyone at this point. She took her phone and checked for any missed calls or messages, there was nothing new and she decided to try Bonnie's cell again. Just like it happened during the summer all she got was a disconnected message that left her upset, she saw Jeremy arrive with a card box full of bottles and immediately drilled him. "I still haven't been able to talk to Bonnie, all I keep getting is a disconnected message over and over."

Jeremy smiled and kept walking avoiding a conversation that required looking Caroline in the eyes. "I talked to her yesterday."  
"Really, what did she say?" Caroline went after him.

Jeremy started unpacking the bottles. "That she loves her summer getaway, she was very drained after all those spells and the Expression thing so she needed a break."  
Caroline nodded exasperated. "And you called your family in Denver and they agreed to let her spend the summer there. I know this by heart now Jeremy, because you've spent all summer repeating it."

He gave her another smile. "Because you have spent all summer asking the same question."  
"I just don't get why she left without a word."

Jeremy grabbed the box that was now empty. "Have you heard from Tyler?" he tried to change the subject.  
Caroline's mood was not improved. "He found a pack on some forsaken mountain and they have been bonding or whatever it is that werewolves do." she shook her head distressed. "He promised he would be back last week."

"I'm sure he will surprise you soon." Jeremy went back to The Grill for another liquor round.  
Caroline walked with him gloomily. "It's just like last summer with Elena, she is spending all her time with Damon while Stefan is away but at least last year I had Tyler."

"I'm living at the boarding house with Damon, Elena and their really loud sex life… it's been the summer from hell." Jeremy confessed with a doomed voice.  
Her phone started ringing but Caroline didn't answer it, instead she sighed at Jeremy. "Matt is in Europe with the original she-devil and Bonnie isn't here either…" Caroline shoved her hands inside her summer cardigan ignoring the call with the harsh move. "I just want summer to be over so that everything goes back to normal again."

Jeremy's smile was a sad one. "Yeah..."  
Caroline shook her soft curls and determinedly raised her chin. "Well my part in here is done and the party is good to go so I'm going home to change. I still have a few things to pack before we leave for college as well."

Jeremy returned her wave with a nod, he clutched the empty card box in his hand; for months he had been dodging Caroline's growing suspicion and leading her on because he had no idea how to tell Caroline and the others the truth.

* * *

Liz came inside the house dropping her keys on the table. "Caroline? Are you home?"  
_"I'm in my bedroom."  
_  
Liz smiled heading there, she stopped by the threshold watching Caroline pack a few books into a card box. "I think the money dad left you for college covers the access to the library at the university as well."  
Caroline giggled closing the box. "You know that I wouldn't go anywhere without my Dickens and Jane Austin."

Liz frowned into a very heavy expression. "This is that awful day when I have to watch my daughter pack for college and it all dawns on me; I have to get used to the empty house next week."  
"You could come with me." Caroline said packing her beloved teddy bear that she had since she was 2 in another box.

"I don't think I will ever be able to leave this town." Liz came inside the room now filled with boxes and already looking ghostly to her.  
"I don't like the idea of leaving you here alone." Caroline admitted.

Liz laughed taking a better look around the empty room, it needed some paint. "Mystic Falls has at least 5 thousand inhabitants. They will keep me company."  
"Are those numbers official? Because I doubt it with all the deaths happening every other day."

"Well Klaus left town, so the official numbers are steady for now." Liz teased with a smile.  
Caroline smiled but she wasn't too euphoric about it, his name left a heavy touch in the air.

"I need to get ready." Liz touched Caroline's wet hair with affection before leaving the bedroom. "The Mayor insists that I attend this thing."  
"There's still time to apply for the Campus Police if you ever change your mind." Caroline adorably told her.

She heard Liz laugh and that made her chest warm; she truly hated leaving her mother behind, alone in this damn town that was nothing but a death sentence knocking on everyone's door.  
Caroline packed a few more things that she surely wouldn't need but she wanted to make her dorm as cozy as she possibly could.

Her eyes drifted to the drawers she hadn't touched yet, with a slow move Caroline opened the one in the bottom and took the paper she kept under a bunch of other forgotten papers.  
There it was, the one thing she was unable to throw away no matter how wrong it was to keep it, she couldn't help the genuine smile that showed just now either. Slowly Caroline traced the picture Klaus made of her with the honesty comment bellow; this was a sin, just like everything else that she slowly gave in during the summer.

Caroline grabbed her phone next but restrained from even unlocking it. "Urgh Caroline, get a grip." She huffed and shoved the drawing back where it was, closing the drawer with a lot of force.  
After dropping the phone on the bed it started buzzing but she shook her head and took the dress she was going to wear from the bed instead; she still had to decide what she was going to do with her hair. She glanced at the bed one last time before disappearing into the bathroom.

* * *

"I'm going to the back." Jeremy waved the box in his hand to the guy behind the counter. "To get more for the party."  
The guy now replacing Matt nodded busy with his hard task of cleaning glasses.

Jeremy came to the storage room making sure he was alone, he locked the door from the inside and focused. "Bonnie?" he called with his eyes closed.  
"Hey Jer..." The sweet voice made him open his eyes.

"Bonnie!" he came closer with a big smile but it soon faded when she touched his cheek and he couldn't feel it. "This is getting harder to handle Bonnie and Caroline is closing in on me."  
"I know, I've tried to stay away but it's not as easy as I thought and I have seen her a few times, she looks sad."

"She was really busy with the all the arrangements for college during summer but now she's getting restless."  
"That's an alert sign for Caroline…" Bonnie crossed her arms stroking them, wishing there was something she could do for her friend.

"We should tell her Bonnie, and Elena as well."  
"No." She stated determined, that's the one thing that she was certain about. "It would crush Caroline to know that I'm not coming back."

"Maybe we could find a way." Jeremy started but she cut him off like always.  
"It's not a choice." She said with sheer resolve.

"It is to me, if I had known that you would sacrifice yourself for me, I would have never allowed you to do it."  
Bonnie shook her head. "I was already dead, and you are important Jeremy. Elena has lost too many already… I have no one left." she attempted a small smile. "You have a long life ahead of you."

"Bonnie… no." he begged but she vanished from his sight.  
Jeremy tossed the box away mad and grabbed his head distraught.

* * *

Bonnie cleaned her tears, this should be getting easier but it was everything but that; she was on the outside now unable to help her friends and be with the boy she loved. She watched Jeremy leave the room, she was still here with him but now that she had learned how to break the connection, he lost the ability to see her whenever things got too painful for him.  
Bonnie turned around for another surprise that she was still learning how to handle. "Leave me alone."

"It's so endearing to see you with him." Kol smirked leaning against a shelf.  
She gave him a scowl. "Stop following me around."

"I was in the dead neighborhood." he shrugged.  
"Is there any chance you might go bother some other ghost besides me?"

He shook his head serious. "You are the only one I know around this Dead Kingdom."  
Bonnie smiled. "Too bad." she vanished from inside the room.

Kol smiled disappearing as well, he showed up next to her on the public square. "A very sly trick darling but I learned that one a few weeks ago myself."  
She kept her steady pace, so many familiar faces that looked right at her without seeing or sensing her at all. "You are a really old vampire, how come you don't know anyone on this side?"

"Are you referring to my martyr brother that is making up his lost time with his ghost girl or perhaps my parents? I am deeply conflicted between trying to find my mother that linked us all so she could kill us or reaching out to my father that hunted us down. Besides I don't see you with company either."  
"I can't find my Grams..." Bonnie mumbled; she saw Caroline and smiled, how much she missed hugging her friend but that was out of the question and so was getting rid of the Original that stepped in front of her with a smile she wanted to slap out of his hot face.

"Did you have time to regret your decision yet little witch?"  
"It kept you away from Elena… so no." she smiled at Kol.

"Ah yes, sweet innocent Elena, the everlasting victim unless she decides to bend the rules and make the Gods favor her side by having your boyfriend turn me into an eternal flame."  
"Nice and crispy." she pushed him with a bigger smile.

Kol flashed grabbing her neck. "I haven't figured a way to get my hands on the Gilbert hero yet but since we are both stuck on this side… where I can actually touch and hurt someone..." his face changed and his fangs appeared.  
"Funny thing about that actually…" She narrowed her eyes sending a gush of pain to him. "Some things are stronger on this side as well."

Kol was forced to released her but unlike what she expected, he didn't try to hurt her again, he tilted his head with a sly smile instead. "I've had time to adjust in here and to figure out a few house rules … _they_ are not very fond of wicked witches."  
"They?" Bonnie asked slowly looking around, everything was becoming dark, like night was creeping in on them and she couldn't see anyone or hear them any longer. A big dark smoke surrounded them, she faced Kol with a puzzled look.

"Time for me to exit and to leave you with The Shadows, call it my small retribution knowing that at least one from the execution team is in pain." he said before he disappeared.  
Bonnie was alone with a sinister smoke that was wrapping itself around her, then as it reached her hand it began to crawl under her skin and Bonnie couldn't breathe, she tried to scream but the pain was paralyzing as it reached her shoulder and then covered her completely.

* * *

Caroline straightened the lemonade stand with a sigh, she could hear Damon and Elena approaching with their annoying romantic public display.  
"Hey Care..." Elena tried to win her friend over with a sweet smile. "Sorry for bailing on you earlier… Damon can be very persuasive."

Caroline didn't bother looking at her, she added the ice to the lemonade with a smile. "Don't worry Elena, I took care of it."  
"And it looks incredible." Elena glanced around the town's picnic. "Like always."

"I know." Caroline simply replied.  
"You are upset…"

Caroline cleaned her hands looking at the brunette wearing a casual ponytail. "Nonsense… this is what I do, I organize events Elena."  
"You also dealt with everything regarding college, including my application and where we are going to live and everything..." Elena rubbed the back of her neck giving Caroline a very apologetic look. "I didn't do anything besides spend all my time with Damon and Jeremy."

"You had a rough year."  
Elena frowned slightly, Caroline didn't sound as genuine as Elena expected. "Well… yeah…"

"And like always we are all here for you." Caroline sounded so serious that Elena felt uncomfortable.  
"I'm very grateful for the friends I have." Elena wasn't sure of what was happening.

"Enjoy the party Elena." Caroline swiftly turned around. "Nice ponytail by the way."  
"Caroline..." Elena called but it didn't stop the blonde from walking away, she touched her hair not sure if she looked too casual for the town event.

"What's with blondie?" Damon asked holding a beer for her.  
"I think she really misses Tyler…" Elena answered taking the beer and focusing on Damon's blue eyes with a smile.

* * *

"Beautiful party Caroline." Rudy said enchanted with the flawless organization.  
"Thank you… Mayor, have you heard from Bonnie?"

"She sent me an email last week; she is loving Denver." he answered with the biggest smile.  
"An email?" Caroline asked on edge.

Rudy wasn't oblivious to her subtle judging. "I'm still trying to recover the shaky relationship I have with my daughter, if she chooses to only get in touch with me by email; I have to respect her wish Caroline. I'm hanging on to everything I can so I don't lose her again."  
Caroline tried to tame her witty tongue and smiled politely. "I just really miss my friend."

The Mayor smiled warmly at her and touched her arm patronizingly. "The summer is almost over and then the three close friends will focus on the new important phase of their lives."  
Caroline kept her smile as the Mayor walked away, her phone started buzzing again and she was about take the call this time when she saw April rushing to her, reluctantly she kept her phone inside one of the pockets of her new cream dress.

"Everything is under control and we are on schedule, the firework will start right on time." April informed her.  
"Thank you for everything April, I wouldn't have pulled it off without you." Caroline confessed with honesty.

April was taken by the compliment and blushed. "It was an honor… you… are amazing."  
Caroline laughed. "Well I hope you learned everything properly because from now on, you will be in charge of the town events."

"Me?" April cupped her burning cheeks.  
"I'm Caroline Forbes and I still have power in this town, I also get to choose who will carry on my legacy and I think the current Miss Mystic Falls is the perfect candidate."

April's chin fell in astonishment. "I'm so flattered Caroline."  
"Those are big stilettos that you are filling April Young." Caroline gave her a stern side look. "I expect great things from you."

April simply nodded in a daze watching Caroline leave, she gulped down nervously but Caroline was trusting her with this, so she composed herself and took a deep breath; when one of the kids that belonged to the event committee went by she quickly grabbed his arm. "I see a lot of empty bottles scattered around."  
The kid gave her a funny look.

"We need to do something about that." She tried to sound stern, she had to prove herself to Caroline after all.

* * *

Caroline leaned against the tree looking at her watch, it was almost time.  
"Pathetic..." The grouchy voice said close to her.

Caroline looked back with a heavy frown. "What do you want?"  
Katherine dryly spoke. "A ticket out of this petty town that has picnics like everyone is normal and sadly pathetic?"

"Oh, you mean like you are now? A dull human?" Caroline asked with an acid smile.  
"Have you thought about my proposition?"

Caroline started laughing. "I'm not turning you Katherine."  
"Why not?" She smiled. "Here's your chance to get back at me for pushing a pillow against your face while you slept and for killing you coldly and ruthlessly."

Caroline stopped next to Katherine. "And miss out on my chance to give back all that misery and pain you put me through in the beginning? Never."  
"Klaus will come for me once he finds out I'm human and able to provide him with blood for his hybrids."

Caroline gave one last look at Katherine with a cold smile. "You've been human for months now and he hasn't come for you yet. Your important status in all of our lives has been revoked."  
Katherine swallowed her anger.

"Besides you have been human once and you found your way around it then."  
"No one will turn me..." she said deeply upset. "I've tried." she added sourly.

Caroline shrugged. "Perks of being collateral damage."  
As she walked away, precisely at 9 pm the firework show started, enchanting everyone that looked up at the sky in wonder and making Katherine pierce holes in her back. She smiled happy that her last town event ended in such a beautiful and poetic way.

* * *

Caroline sat on that bench outside The Grill and reached for her phone, she checked on all of his missed calls and she was hesitant about touching his name on the screen so she could return them, after a brief deliberation she gave up and searched for Tyler's name instead.  
After a few rings the recorded message answered instead of him and Caroline sadly left him another message that he would take hours to answer. "Hey, I'm leaving tomorrow and I still need to know if you are planning on fixing the small detail that you haven't officially ended high school because I need to know if my boyfriend is attending college with me or going all _Dancing with the wolves _on me." she ended the message furious.

This was just annoying, scratching on the insufferable from him. Tyler was taking his quest to get in touch with his werewolf side a bit too far and she wasn't sure if the juvenile act was something she could take much longer; it's not like she didn't know that basically Tyler spent his summer having wild parties in the woods and hunting with packs that he worshiped now. Still she encouraged him as a way to get over the loss of his entire family, but when her phone started buzzing again, she had a big duel with herself.

Part of her unconditional support and biblical patience regarding Tyler's behavior went a bit further than the love she felt for him, it was painfully attached to the movement her finger made across the green mark on her screen. It was plain overcompensation for the little sin she secretly had been indulging all summer.

"_I was beginning to consider that you were set on ignoring my calls."_

Caroline played with her hair that she was wearing straight today. "I was busy."  
_"How was the perfect town event that you spent your week organizing?" _

Caroline smiled. "Perfect Klaus!" she smugly answered, there was a soft laughter from the other side and the thought began to nag her again. "You need to stop calling me..."  
_"Then you need to stop taking my calls sweetheart."_

Caroline looked down on the ground accusing the accuracy in his mocking tone. Since that first night when she took his call, that he had been calling her every other night during the summer and every time with a guilt that was becoming less and less powerful, she accepted his attention.  
"Well I wanted to thank you because the best dorm in all Campus just miraculously became available after I told you about it."

_"It was the only one that was remotely able to answer your high standards." _he teased her blatantly.  
Caroline huffed crossing her legs and twirling her foot lazily. "It was the only room big enough to fit the three of us and there was a very big list ahead of me, I tried compelling my way into that list unsuccessfully and then you did something and I got the room..." she stopped her movements harshly. "Wait, did you kill everyone on that list?" she winced aghast.

_"Occasionally, I do the atrocious and use money."  
_Caroline rolled her eyes.

Klaus' voice was becoming familiar to Caroline; she was able to pinpoint the occasional genuine softness in him or the blunt scorn by now. So she easily caught the seriousness in his voice as well.  
_"I have an important issue to discuss with you Caroline that I rather attend in person."_

Caroline wrinkled her nose. "Is this another try to make me go to New Orleans Klaus?"  
_"I'm afraid it's a bit more gory than that Caroline but perhaps I should let you enjoy your dreadful first day at college before we cover the subject that requires some subtlety."_

She grimaced. "You are not making me nervous or anything…"  
_"You've skimmed through high school, college should be a fairly easy challenge for you."_

Caroline would never admit that she was fearful of the new changes about to happen in her life, but scarier than that, was the fact that over the summer she got used to his calls and the long talks that mostly consisted of her silly ramblings that he never complained about.  
"There's a tiny iny thing that I need..." She took her time growing the courage to ask for the favor.

_"You have a request." _he solemnly stated.  
Caroline took a deep breath. "I need you to track down Bonnie for me. I know that she isn't in Denver. I called Elena's family and they never got a call from Jeremy at all so I don't know why they are lying to me but I can't shake the feeling that Bonnie might be in trouble."

_"I will have someone on it at once."  
_Caroline smiled, actually meaning it for the first time all day. "Thank you Klaus."

She could picture the smile on his side. _"We are friends, are we not?"  
_And just like that, he made her smile again and like all other calls he made her feel less lonely and gloomy.

She suddenly gasped loudly. "Oh my God, can you believe Katherine asked me to turn her again? Like seriously? If I ever choose to breed a lineage, I am not going near that cold bitch!"  
_"You could always sire her and get poetic retribution."_

Caroline burst into a bubbly happy laughter.  
_"I was serious Caroline..." _he clarified but it only made her laugh louder.

* * *

**Soundtrack: **

Around you - _Ingrid Michaelson_


	2. Shared interest

"… _I need to know who is on my side."  
_Bonnie recognized the voice but everything felt different about him, she made her way through the crowd of the living that couldn't see her. Bonnie stayed behind a few people carefully hidden.

"I'm not sure what's happening…" Rudy spoke, he looked down on the man bleeding on the ground and then at Liz that should be doing something but looked as dazed as the rest of them.  
Bonnie came near Caroline's mother. "Sheriff Forbes?" She called knowing it was of no use but still she tried to touch the woman.

"Bonnie?"  
The voice startled her, he was able to see her. "Stefan?" She called shocking on tears.

"Now, wouldn't you like that?"  
Bonnie knew instantly he wasn't the real Stefan. "Silas." She said certain he was playing with her mind.

"Have The Shadows been kind to you?" He asked with a dark smile.  
Bonnie stroked her arms, she was shivering just remembering the pain they inflicted on her. "What's going on in here?" She glanced over to her father.

"Every big bad needs an army." He moved his hand like a General admiring his soldiers.  
Bonnie's throat closed up in panic, Liz and her father were here. "Leave them alone…" She begged in a whisper.

Silas grew solemn. "Only if you do something for me."  
Bonnie looked around, no one moved, they just stood there staring at Silas. "What do you want?" She asked looking at Liz again.

"A little help from your side."  
She narrowed her eyes. "I'm dead, what could you possibly want from me now?"

"All in good time…"  
Bonnie shook her head. "You can't possibly hurt me anymore. The creepy smoke hurts at first but I will get used to it."

"Audacious but petulant and ultimately demanding an example." Silas said shoving a knife she hadn't seen in his hand into Rudy's chest.  
Bonnie screamed in agony. "Noooo..."

Silas smiled and snapped his fingers, Bonnie was now in the woods and twirled around to find him there.  
"For now that was just in your head but if you fail me, I will make his death painful." Silas said disappearing.

Bonnie covered her mouth beginning to cry.

* * *

Caroline was closing the last box she was taking to college when a tiny rock came through the open window and smashed her lava lamp, one of the very few things that she was leaving behind.  
"_Sorry!"_ A very apologetic voice echoed from outside.

Caroline came to the window quickly. "Elena?" She was surprised to find the brunette there.  
"I'm still getting used to the strength thing…" She touched the back of her head followed by a purse of her lips.

"I needed a new lamp anyway." Caroline shrugged the damages quickly.  
Both friends faced each other silently before Elena took initiative. "Would you go for a walk with me?"

Caroline wasn't too at ease with the invitation but it had already been a dreadful summer that she wanted to put behind her so she swiftly jumped over her window, smiling a bit at Elena.  
"Thank you." Elena said suspecting how much of an effort Caroline was making.

And right she was, because Caroline was hurt but she was also determined to listen to Elena. She walked away with Elena unaware that the phone she left lying on the bed was vibrating and that the name on the screen was Tyler's.

* * *

**New Orleans**

He got a bubbly voice announcing the voicemail signal, very different from the one that left him an ultimatum on his messages. "Care… I know that you are mad but I don't have my phone with me when I'm shifting. My wolf suit doesn't have a pocket." He said attempting a silly joke. "Call me when you hear this, I miss you." He wanted to add the rest he had in mind but the black Sports car was approaching and he ended the call before telling Caroline that he loved her.

Hayley left the car as soon as she killed the engine, she tugged the long cardigan around herself, the baby bump was a nice little belly by now and she was by no means at ease with it. "What did you find?" She went straight to the point, they didn't have much time.

"Not much… the clan that you are looking for is almost extinct."  
She shook her head vehemently. "Klaus told me that they were in New Orleans and that they were a very important clan, so there has to be someone left besides me."

"Oh, so now we trust the one that got you pregnant?" Tyler snapped.  
Hayley pulled the cardigan closer to her bones. "I need to find my family Tyler." She fought back a set of fresh tears. "I need them."

"To protect you, I know. But I've spent all summer searching for any trace of them and the best I could come up with was a bunch of loose names. If there is someone still left from your family, they are hiding really well."  
"Maybe they are hiding from Klaus." She refused to believe they were hiding from her instead.

Tyler sighed because she looked tired and scared; it was surreal to him to find Hayley like this. She was not the same girl who helped him fight the sire bond to Klaus. "I have a new lead. Someone mentioned that a few werewolves are living secluded on a mountain near the border with Canada. I can check up on it, if you want me to."  
Hayley smiled. "Thank you Tyler. I can't leave New Orleans with the witches breathing down on me and Klaus, then there's Elijah…" She couldn't bring herself to even name the long list of people suddenly watching her every move.

"But if this is another dead-end Hayley, you are on your own. I have to go back to Caroline, she's important to me."  
Hayley raised her eyes from the ground like the words brought her to life. "I understand Tyler." She gave him a small smile but didn't even turn away when he left in his car.

Hayley's mind was racing. Of course, why didn't she think about this sooner?  
Hayley searched her pocket for the piece of paper with his number, for months that she had been trying to come up with something she could use and now here it was. She dialed the number she got from the blonde at the bar with a trembling finger.

* * *

"Awkward…" Elena played with her bracelet as the girls walked through the woods.  
Caroline stopped clasping her hands. "This shouldn't be awkward Elena, we grew up together. Somewhere along these woods, there is a tree that we climbed when we were 11 and from which you fell scaring me to death."

Elena smiled enchanted with the memory. "And I asked you to run all the way to town to my dad's office for help. You came back with your mother, my father and the entire fire department."  
Caroline laughed. "I've always been very diligent." She made a fist with her hand.

Elena's smile faded a bit. "You've been a wonderful friend that I sort of took for granted."  
"I became a selfish skunk that was jealous of everything you had." She sadly admitted crossing her arms and looking at the ground.

But Elena smiled warmly and rested her hands over Caroline's arms. "You got killed because of me Care… I dragged you into all this mess and you got caught in the middle of the crossfire. And then…" Elena squeezed her arm a little so she would face her. "I tried to kill you in these woods and no matter how much I want to blame my inability to feel, I still remember everything I did, and all the awful things I said to you."

"You stole my prom dress…" Caroline said slowly digesting the grudge she still had for that move.  
"A crime, I know." Elena tried to keep a grin in. "But you looked stunning in that other dress."

"I looked like a princess." She said crumbling into a smile, she loved that dress and how amazing she looked in it.  
"Care… I'm sorry for everything and for hiding in my perfect bubble with Damon all summer so that I didn't have to face all the atrocities that I did."

Caroline moved her hand covering Elena's. "I miss my friend."  
"I'm the worst friend ever." Elena said miserably.

"That would be Stefan that decided to go on a road trip alone without a single call for two months."  
Elena pressed her lips together. "That would be on me again." She nodded once. "He must be so hurt because I chose Damon."

Caroline released Elena's hand and subtly moved away as well, she started walking slowly through the woods and Elena touched her wavy hair with a squint.  
"You really don't like Damon." She said in a low voice.

Caroline laughed lacing a hand around a random tree. "I don't have to like him, I'm not the one dating him now."  
"Ouch, old Caroline strikes." Elena forced a smile.

Caroline's grew. "Stefan might have helped me become a better person after I was a vampire but his older brother made sure I loathed the human me. I'm happy that the amazing sex with Damon is enough to make you forget about all the bad things he did to all of us, but I can't."

"I think you just ended our talk." Elena turned her back on Caroline gravely but before giving two full steps she faced the blonde again. "No, you know what? I'm not going to do this. I love Damon and yes, I chose him but it's not for the sex or the crappy sire bond that everyone tried to pin on us. I loved Stefan, with all of my human heart Caroline." Elena pressed her chest hard like someone in torment. "But Damon… he is the passion and the fire that I want; that I crave. I need him; I want to be one with him, to have his blood running through me and to have mine in him. I can't explain it with words, just that it's not sweet and innocent like I was once. Stefan was the love of my pure human life; Damon is the love and the passion, the excitement and the raw desire of my vampire life."

Caroline watched her friend walk away with clasped lips and a tight heart, she slumped against the tree banging her head hard against it. The cruel truth was crawling under her skin as she was left alone surrounded by darkness; she only attacked Elena because she was having doubts about the easy life she envisioned for herself and she was terrified to open that door that led to all the things Elena was feeling with Damon.

* * *

**New Orleans**

"Rebekah called, she just arrived to Zurich." Elijah came into the room keeping his phone inside the dark blue suit.  
Klaus dropped the glass he hadn't touched and quickly fled from the room but Elijah held his arm as he was about to rudely leave him alone.

"On your way out?" He asked looking at his brother.  
Klaus smiled insolently. "On my way to buy some nice diapers and toys for the devil's spawn."

"This is your child, perhaps a little more contain on your tongue would be required." Elijah quietly scowled him.  
Klaus pulled his arm returning the scowl. "Until this unborn child comes out and starts slaying hybrids by the dozens, I won't be naming him my son any time soon; if that's all right with you and the pesky peasant that claims to be carrying my seed in her."

"Such shameful ways to treat a lady that you once invited into your bed." Elijah touched his tie with a quiet admonish.  
Klaus laughed from the door opening his arms disdainfully. "She invited me, it was on the table and I assure you that I did not treat her like a lady because she is not one."  
Elijah shook his head deeply aggravated with his brother's actions and words.

Klaus paced to his car angry, not only Elijah decided to stay in the house with him; he kept reminding him of the monumental mistake he made that day with the wolf. He came to his car finding the odds shifting every two hours and by the scent that reached him, his day was only getting better.

"If you were trying to sneak up on me, this is saddening me." Klaus turned his head to Marcel. "I thought that I taught you better than that."  
Marcel smiled without showing his white teeth. "You taught me well, I was watching you for the last five minutes. You seem troubled."

Klaus raised his chin to face his rival stoically. "Perhaps I could tell you all about it over a drink."  
"I know a bar nearby." Marcel led the way for Klaus that took a careful look around before crossing the street.

* * *

The flames on the fireplace were dancing before his eyes, he had his vintage bourbon with a smile when he heard the front door open, he turned expecting Elena but the deep curls on the other girl wearing tight leather leggings and a sexy blouse threw him off. "What do you want?" He coldly asked.

Katherine ran her finger through the leather couch with a shrug. "I was bored stiff and who better to cheer my mood than Damon Salvatore?"  
Damon clenched his jaw unable to have the drink in his hand. "I don't want you near this house Katherine."

"Why don't you compel me to stay away?" She whispered with a wicked smile.  
"Elena will be back soon; maybe I'll leave the honors for her." He smirked.

Katherine held her own and came around the couch to sit down; she rested her black thin heel against the little table in front of her. "So the town gossip is true."  
"What do they say about the most handsome vampire in town?" He took the bait.

"That you became her lap-dog. Tell me Damon, how did you go from spending 50 years pining over me to become Elena's little tamed dog? Do you roll over when she snaps her little virgin fingers and shake your tale? Or do you have to beg for the cookies?" She smiled eerily.

Damon dropped the glass and before it shattered against the floor, Katherine was left fighting for air as he crushed her throat between his fingers. "I'm one of those dogs that bite and then bark."  
She managed a dry laughter between his harsh hold on her. "Not anymore. You are domesticated now and a step away from becoming a soccer dad for her precious brother."

Damon snarled on her face but Katherine sneaked her hand inside his shirt after opening a few buttons. "Don't you miss being bad? Draining a few girls and snapping a few necks…"  
He grabbed her hand making her cringe in pain. "Stay away from us." He pushed her against the couch before releasing her. "That's going to leave a bruise." He said without a smile while closing his shirt.

Katherine rubbed her wrist walking to the front door. "Maybe but unlike your girlfriend, I like it when you are rough." She said opening the door bumping into Elena that was just arriving.  
Katherine waved her fingers at Elena that slowly looked at Damon; he popped the collar of his shirt hating human version of Katherine even more than the vampire one.

* * *

**New Orleans**

Marcel poured a drink for Klaus. "You have been settling down in New Orleans. My men say that you bought a house, killed a few of my vampires and asked around about the witches."  
Klaus moved the hand resting on the table showing his palm. "I like knowing what I'm up against."

"We don't have to be enemies Niklaus."  
"Who spoke of such harsh terms? I was thinking more along the lines of nemesis. A worthy opponent." He raised his glass to Marcel.

Marcel slowly raised his. "A battle for what?" He spiked Klaus with a smile.  
"For the throne." Klaus had his drink in one take and dropped the glass bottom up, tapping the glass with a sadist smile so peculiar in him.

"Bring it on my Sire." Marcel faltered in his smile but not on his bravery.  
"Patience Marcel, one does not go into war without being prepared to win it." Klaus left the table and the bar with a confidence that Marcel knew too well and feared.

One of his men tapped his shoulder. "She's here."  
Marcel nodded standing up; he pushed the tingly chains that hang from the threshold as he came into the back of the bar.

The alley was discrete and narrow; the girl was hidden in the shadows where it was hard to see her. "I was surprised by the call."  
Hayley stepped into the part of the alley that was bathed by the lamp light. "I can't be long, the witches and Elijah should be looking for me already."

"Klaus just left, perhaps to look for you as well."  
Hayley bitterly chuckled. "He probably went home to sharpen the knife he will be using to carve this baby out of me."

"I have enough problems as it is. I don't know what you want, but I can't help you with anything." Marcel quickly ended the conversation unable to connect to the pain or fear the girl was conveying.  
"The witches want to use Klaus as a weapon to rebel against you." She had his interest now and he faced her hungry for more information. "But using me as leverage is only going to work until he finds a way to get rid of Elijah and dispose of me and my baby."

"Is that why you have been searching for your family?" Marcel asked with a smile. "Nothing happens in this town without my knowledge."  
Hayley nodded expecting it. "I need protection."

"Against Niklaus Mikaelson?" Marcel laughed loud and with will, he clapped a few times. "Join the circus; they could use the naive clown." Again he turned his back on her.  
"If you help me, I will give you the perfect weapon to use on Klaus."

"Something that can actually hurt him?"  
Hayley shook her head. "Not something, someone."

"This is where I tell you that I've heard all this before and unlike silly witches that can tell when someone is pregnant, I do know Klaus and he does not back down for anyone, not even a baby that might be his."  
Hayley took a step closer. "I guarantee you have not heard this one before."

"Go on." Marcel squinted admitting the curiosity.  
"Niklaus Mikaelson fell in love with a girl that he left back in Mystic Falls."

Marcel chuckled. "Fool! Klaus doesn't care about anyone besides his family and even those can't be used against him."  
"Well you haven't met Caroline Forbes. There's nothing Klaus wouldn't do for that girl."

Marcel smiled happy with the talk, now this was worth his time. "I see a deal in our future."  
"Grant me protection against him and the witches and I will help you get rid of Klaus." Hayley said coldly.

* * *

Caroline crashed on her bed facing the ceiling with a huff, she felt awful for the silly fight with Elena, if the weird talk could even be called that.  
When her phone began to buzz she searched for it on the bed, she held it above her face already knowing who was calling, with a swift move she took the call. "You are a terrible influence on me, your calls are slowly altering my sweet perfect vampire improved personality." She said with a grumble.

Klaus laughed, how could he not? _"I'm certain I just briskly interrupted your torture on some puppy."_  
She smiled twirling a streak of hair. "No need to flag me as a psycho just yet but I was a total bitch to Elena today."

_"I sense a scene that I was not there to stop this time."_  
Caroline rested her arm over her forehead. "It was just us walking in the woods but my glorious human bitch Caroline made an appearance. I have no idea why the thought of Damon and Elena makes me so angry that I lose it so much. I mean, I know that he would never hurt her the way he hurt me but still..."

There was a moment there that she only heard Klaus breathing on the other side and she wondered about the heavy silence between them, it wasn't until he spoke that she realized the magnitude of what she just told him.  
_"How did Damon hurt you exactly?"_

Caroline pursed her lips, touching them very nervous. "You know... typical Damon stuff. The occasional fight and snarky comments that... hurt." She tried to ease the damage.  
_"It happened while you were still human." _He wisely deduced.

"No..." She said slowly.  
_"Caroline."_ His voice was grave and she closed her eyes covering them with her hand, why had she just spoken about Damon with Klaus of all people?

"Yes?" She asked with her eyes closed.  
_"What happened with Damon?"_

"Nothing." She chewed on her lip.  
_"You are a poor liar and we are not even standing in the same room."_

"That's because you are an expert in torture and killing people." She said with a pout, knowing she was the child just caught with her hand in the cookie-jar.  
_"I'm going to find out eventually."_

Caroline tapped her forehead with a fist repeatedly, why did she have such a loose tongue? "Let's change the subject, what did you find about Bonnie?"

There was a very long sigh from his side._ "I'm only allowing the deflection maneuver because I don't have much to inform you."_  
Caroline frowned sitting up on the bed. "What do you mean?"

_"There is nothing on Bonnie."_  
"What use is this friendship I have with the mighty Klaus if you can't find one girl when I need you to?" She snapped upset.

_"Bonnie vanished, literally. Either she doesn't want to be found or..."_  
"No." She circled her finger cutting through air. "There is no _or _in this scenario. You have to find Bonnie for me." She closed her eyes and her hand for a second. "Well... not to sound too demanding or anything... but do your sire thing and find her."

_"I have a few matters on my hands right now sweetheart, I can't search for her myself."_ Klaus sounded uneasy and even tired to Caroline.  
"What has you in such an upheaval there in New Orleans anyway?" She asked him too sweetly for his cold chest to handle.

_"Preparing the city for Queen Caroline for when she decides to grace us all with her presence."_ He answered shifting the conversation to her.  
"Ah ha. Very cunning of you." She saw right through him. "You always do that, we always end up talking about me."

_"I wasn't deceiving when I said that I wanted to know all about your hopes and dreams."_  
Caroline rested back on the bed. "My hopes and dreams consist of having my friends back. I feel like everything is changing Klaus and slowly spinning out of my control..." She confessed in a low voice.

_"Change doesn't have to be a traumatic event Caroline."_  
She smiled. "You made me think of Stefan just now."

_"Do I have to search for him as well? I suppose I could start by tracking the Bon Jovi tours."_  
Caroline grabbed her pillow laughing. "How did you know about that?"

_"I spent an entire summer with Stefan."_ He solemnly answered.  
Her laughter was a teasing one now. "Yes... the summer you both went all _Brokeback Mountain_..."

_"I'm hanging up now."_ He tried to sound upset but she picked up on the laughter he was holding back on her.  
"Two strong men all alone in the woods, travelling by day and snuggling by night..." She made a lazy pattern on her pillow.

_"Goodnight funny girl."_ He said with a softness that she knew very little had seen.  
"Goodnight Klaus..." She replied sweetly and with a nice shade of guilt.

She rested her phone against her chin with a smile after the call ended, now she was left with her loud conscious. It was such a different kind of guilt that pushed her to stop thinking about the man in New Orleans and had her calling her boyfriend almost desperate to hear his carefree young voice.

She smiled clutching her pillow tight when she heard Tyler's voice, he was the love of her human life, part of her constant will to stay in touch with her humanity but everything was changing and she had no control over it.  
It became alarming to her that she began to miss the wise, calm and deep voice of Klaus that held so much mystery and all the secrets of a man who had lived through so much.

* * *

**New Orleans **

Klaus noticed the black SUV parked on the other side of the road, he took the key from the engine and looked at the mirror, another one was parked a few cars away from his.  
As he stepped outside, he was ready for anything; even for the pretty petite girl with wavy long dark hair that went below her shoulders and a thick fringe that framed her small features nicely. She came out of the car in front of his, a black SUV as well.

"Good evening Master Mikaelson." She politely said and he noticed the hint of French in her accent.  
"I don't greet strangers." He glanced behind him as two other girls left the other car.

"Forgive my rudeness, I'm Leah." She gave him a small nod.  
"Your parents were the rude ones by not handing you a surname."

The girls smiled at ease with the dangerous man, one with short hair came closer to him.  
"We belong to a coven, surnames don't exist within the circle."

Witches, how wonderful. "Sent by Sophie?" He looked behind him annoyed. "What news will you try to impress me with now? Is the wolf delivering twins?"  
Leah chuckled. "She warned me that you would be witty."

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "You are not here in behalf of Sophie..."  
"Our leader sent us with a request."

Klaus was listening to the girl who obviously was good at her job as a messenger, she was concise and kind enough to not waste his time.  
"Marcel has banished the witches he couldn't kill into exile, forbidden to ever return we live for news of home. Rumors have spread out of New Orleans that there is a new contender for the King's place in town."

"I do not own New Orleans yet, I cannot grant permission for anyone to return and even if I had it within my reach, I'm not sure I would want more witches in town."  
Leah smiled. "You will want my leader by your side."

"Why so sure of yourself?"  
"She wants Marcel's head, heart or any other vital organ for that matter, detached permanently from his body. Call it a shared interest if you must."

"And what's the name of my new partner?" Klaus asked with a malevolent happy smile.  
"Selene." Leah answered with a big smile. "It's a wonderful night to make alliances."

Klaus looked around, suddenly he was surrounded by dozens of girls wearing all black.

* * *

**Soundtrack:**

Everything has changed - _Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran_

Run this town -_ Jay-Z ft. Rihanna & Kanye West_


	3. Alone

Bonnie went by the well and scanned the woods around her; she took a very long deep breath. "I know that you are here…" she shouted into the quiet woods. "… somewhere..." she whispered this time.

"Hello little witch." The voice came from behind her and she turned to the man resting against the well.  
"Kol…" she nodded once gathering the courage to address the smirking Original.

* * *

Caroline carried the last box to her car, she was about to close the trunk when the blue convertible came into sight, she closed the trunk loudly. Of course that Elena was going with Damon.  
"Morning blondie." Damon sneered from the wheel.

Caroline smiled with a big effort. "If we leave now, we can have lunch at that really cool place that I told you about…" she looked at Elena.  
The brunette pushed her sunglasses up visibly trying to remember what Caroline was talking about.

"Actually I'm taking her away to a really nice small Bed and Breakfast in the next town before I deliver her into adulthood." Damon joked.  
Elena rolled her eyes without meaning it, she was enchanted with everything Damon did or said. Caroline was certain that if Damon asked her to start drinking from humans, she would briskly jump into it without much thought. "I will be at the dorm tonight." she smiled sweetly at Caroline.

The blonde nodded a bit, resigning to the change of plans. "Do you want me to take any of your things with me?" she glanced to the back seat frowning because there was only one single duffle bag there.  
"I burned everything I owned…" Elena pulled her lips together tight.

"Really?" Caroline tilted her head. "Didn't you take all your new sexy clothes when you decided to move in to the boarding house and into Damon's bed? You only set fire to the house after you broke Stefan's heart." she added a very acid smile for the couple eyeing her upset.  
"I might be a little late… don't wait up for me." Elena pushed the glasses down and Damon drove away after piercing Caroline with his baby blue eyes.

Caroline felt the awful taste of her world about to crumble but she wasn't going to forfeit now and got inside her car, she still had one more stop before she left town.

* * *

"How may I be of service, young lady in distress?" Kol asked with a smile.  
"I must be out of my mind for doing this…" she mumbled.

He chuckled leaning against the well, his hands inside the cool brown jacket. "You are dead, if this isn't the right time to lose your mind, I don't know when…" he moved his hands inside the pockets, parting his coat open.  
"You tried to warn us about Silas…" she said slowly.

He shrugged. "But you all knew what you were doing. Remarkable end to a foolish odyssey, I must admit." he laughed quietly. "Not only Silas gained a body, the cure didn't save golden girl and ended up on the better version of her. But my personal favorite twist of events was your ironic death, if you wanted so badly to die, you should have left me kill you back at the Gym."  
"Our deaths had a purpose." she fiercely stated.

"Lose the righteous attitude Bennett, there's no one left to impress."  
She shook her head appalled. "I never did anything in my life to look good in the picture, all I did was in order to protect my friends and I held that veil long enough to save Jeremy because he didn't deserve to die. So don't pretend that you have a clue of who I am and the motives behind the actions that led to my death." she ended with a very serious expression.

It made Kol take his hands from inside his pockets and raise them high in the air. "Don't kill me just yet."  
Bonnie looked away from him annoyed but jumped in her place when he flashed to stand too close to her.

"You and your friends decided to play God and chose the ones that were worthy of dying and the ones that deserved a chance to live. Along your hypocrite crusade it never crossed your minds that there would be consequences?"  
Bonnie hinted the reason that brought her here, she licked her lips slowly. "Silas came to me, he wants me to do something but he was all mysterious about it, I figured since you are the expert in the matter…"

Kol leaned his head slightly to the side and wandered his eyes through the rather beautiful features. "Because my warnings and advises were so well received the first time around…"  
"I saved Elena and I saved Jeremy. And I closed the door to this dimension before anyone else got hurt; so my actions may not make sense to you but I would do it all over again." she angrily defended herself.

"Oh but they make sense all right. You see, this is where we differ darling. You look upon slaying my family as a way to a means to serve your agenda. Finn's death was only collateral damage to you because it was a way to stop Nik, but he was my brother and you murdered the poor fella that spent 900 years inside a coffin. The second he came out for a drink with the only girl he ever loved he was ruthlessly taken away from the equation because you needed someone on your end safe."  
"So now you are all innocent? Klaus alone killed half the people we grew up with."

"At least he isn't pretending to be on the good team and doing it for noble reasons. You want to know what Silas requires with you? Ask him yourself and don't waste my time witch. The only entertainment I have left on this side is watching you wriggle in pain under the grip of The Shadows. And I'm not apologetic about it." he left bumping into her shoulder hard.  
Bonnie staggered but looked after Kol, she knew all her answers were with him and she had to find a way to get them.

* * *

Caroline knocked on the door again; she waited another second before she started going at it again. She almost hit the Mayor on the face with her resolute fists when he opened the door disturbed.  
"Caroline." he breathed out followed by an annoyed sigh.

She faced him with a raised chin. "Have you heard from Bonnie yet?"  
"She sent me an email last night, she returns next week and starts college then."

Caroline forced her teeth together inside her mouth deeply distraught. "And you don't find any of this strange?"  
"Caroline…" he smiled patronizing her again. "She is taking a break from everyone…"

When he lowered his chin looking at her like that, she realized he was including her of all people into the mix. "Something happened to Bonnie." she snapped.  
Rudy sighed. "Bonnie is fine."

"How do you know?" she threw her hands in the air. "Have you actually spoken to her? Or seen her? I just know that something happened, something isn't right." Caroline desperately tried to have someone on her side.  
"She just wants to be alone; you should respect her wishes as the good friend that she sees in you." Rudy smiled and closed the door on her face.

Caroline stared at the door with an open mouth.

* * *

"I'm sorry for the interruption." Rudy said closing the door to the den.  
Silas smiled. "It's ok, we were just working on a few guidelines that we need to change in the council." he looked around the group of people who now were under his control.

"Are we restoring vervain back into the water supply?" Liz asked.  
"We are not bothering with the vampires, they are no longer important to us." he glanced over the small group. "We have other priorities now."

* * *

Tyler crouched touching the ashes; the bonfire had died just a few minutes ago. He looked around the campsite, he just missed them. Or maybe not, Tyler heard the faint sound of a twig cracking and rested his palm against the dirt, he felt the ground move with the footsteps; someone tall and big but he could take him.  
With a cocky smile Tyler moved in a blur and knocked someone to the ground, the big man narrowed the heavy eyebrows on him and released a growl, Tyler was surprisingly shoved away and landed against a tree.

He fell to one knee and looked up stunned, the man stood up fully disclosing how big and muscled he was. The dark hair along with the dark smear of a beard gave him a very menacing look.  
"A hybrid is no match to me." he said in a grave voice.

Tyler stood up cleaning his white shirt. "I'm not here to fight you… Serge?" he ventured.  
The man nodded. "What do you want, tainted wolf?"

"I'm here because of Hayley. She sent me."  
"Go back and tell her to forget she has a family." Serge turned his back on Tyler.

"She needs help." Tyler tried once more.  
Serge stopped showing only his really broad back to Tyler. "If she wants it, let her come to us."

Tyler squinted, there was movement and he looked behind him. There was an entire pack of very big men all looking at him.  
"We can't go to New Orleans and we have no wish to do so just yet." A woman stepped from behind the wall of men.

She was not very tall but she had hard features and long dark hair caught behind her head.  
"Hayley is in a mess and she needs help to get out of it."

The woman smiled at Tyler. "Don't be silly boy. She is a woman and we do not get into _a mess_. We give men what they want and then we use it as leverage."  
Tyler raised an eyebrow, the woman wearing a simple pair of jeans and a blouse looked like the type of woman who was really good with a rifle. "Have you met Klaus? The word leverage doesn't exist in his world."

The woman laughed. "The girl has probably found a way to sneak it into his world by now. If she is really one of us." she quietly reminded him.  
Tyler looked around as the others began to disappear into the thick forest surrounding them. "I'll tell her that I found you and that you are counting on her abilities to get out of this alone."

"We will be there for her, when the right time arrives. For now tell her that she is indeed alone." The woman said and disappeared in the same direction than Serge.

"Okay…" Tyler slowly said picking up his phone that began to vibrate. "Hey Care…"

* * *

"Please tell me that you are already waiting for me at the university and that you are busy trying to get into any of those fraternities that have some Greek letters behind them." She asked with her eyes closed and with a fist in the air.  
_"I'll be there tomorrow…" _he said in a low voice.

"Tyler!" she opened her eyes and hissed into the phone. "I can't believe you are doing this to me."  
_"Care, I know that I screwed up big time but I promise to make it up to you once I get there."_

"I am not letting you touch me for the next century, I'm going on strike." she whispered, looking around the diner to make sure no one heard her.  
Tyler laughed from his side like he didn't believe her for one second. _"I'll be there tomorrow. I promise." _he said sweetly.

Caroline pouted playing with the menu. "Elena went with Damon and I still can't reach Bonnie…" She grazed her lip nervously. "I have a bad feeling Ty… something bad happened to her."  
_"You are overreacting Care, probably she finally got a boyfriend and that's why she hasn't answered any of your calls."_

Caroline rolled her eyes. "She would have called me with all the juicy details if that was the case…"  
_"Look Care, I love you but you worry too much. I bet she will be waiting for you at the dorm with a Bonnie smile and a special hug just for you."_

Caroline was tired of this, no one believed her. "I'm just worried about my friend…" she said with weak determination.  
_"Don't be silly, we will all be having lunch tomorrow at the new headquarters for the gang." _He cheerfully said.

Caroline smiled a little. "Call me when you get there."  
_"I will, love you silly head." _he teased before hanging up.

She slowly ended the call.  
Caroline left the phone on the table and looked around placing her hands next to her legs on the crimson red booth. The typical 40's diner was the first stop on the long list she made with the girls, they were supposed to enjoy the road trip to college in the same car, stop at all of these really cool places and make it to college by night.

They had planned this for years, while they were still early in high school but Caroline never forgot about it, she would add a new place every year and carefully plan it all.  
She looked at the big milkshake with a funny straw that she barely touched and it was like she was shrinking in her place, she gripped the plastic under her hands about to cry.

Caroline was finally out of Mystic Falls for the first time but this was not how she had envisioned her big adventure, she was alone and she had tears stinging in her eyes.  
She glanced over to her phone, maybe she could call _him_. Sure it was wrong and all this would come back to haunt her later but she didn't have anyone else to talk to.

Caroline reached out to it but stopped at the last second, no. She wasn't going to show weakness and break down before him. She was strong, she was Caroline Forbes and she was going to get through this, alone if she had to.  
She had a deep breath, sipped a bit on the milkshake and then reached for the money. She left a nice tip and grabbed her things; on the way out she dropped the file with all of her plans for the trip in the garbage. She looked at it for a second before she left to her car.

* * *

**New Orleans **

"Why is my new partner so interested in helping? And how is she planning on taking Marcel out?" Klaus asked as they made way through another set of narrow streets leading to the back of a warehouse.  
Leah smiled at him while knocking on the door with her fist. "You can ask her in a bit."

"This is still New Orleans, how did you manage to stay here without Marcel's knowledge?"  
"We arrived yesterday." she smiled as the door went open and a girl gave them a small nod.

"And you are not planning on staying…" he accurately stated as he spotted a few girls packing candles and salt as they walked to another floor.  
Leah pushed the iron door of the really old elevator and looked at him while the elevator took them upstairs. "Selene is a very powerful sorceress chased away from her town, she holds a very big grudge towards Marcel."

"You address your leader by her name?" Klaus took his time watching the girl. She was confident and even had a arrogant nuance about her which meant she had to be a powerful witch to stand before him so nonchalant.  
"We are a coven, a sisterhood…" she smiled coolly and bravely enough to look him in the eye. "… there is no need for formalities."

"Well I need them; I don't deal with the help." Klaus informed her.  
Leah's smile grew. "I know."

They reached their destination and Leah pushed the door, Klaus followed her to an empty floor where a few girls were gathered around something. When it screamed, Klaus became aware it was _someone_.  
He narrowed his eyes as they grew closer, they were torturing someone strapped to a wooden surface; he could smell the vervain.

"Selene has a few scores to settle in town before she moves on to Marcel." Leah simply informed him without stopping by the gory show.  
There was another loud noise and Klaus knew they had just stabbed the vampire properly executing him.

Another girl passed Leah and nodded again, Klaus didn't miss any of it and he surely didn't miss the tall woman waiting for them in a part of the warehouse that was under construction.  
Leah stayed behind Klaus while the other woman gave Klaus a confident smile.

"Selene, I presume."  
"A pleasure to be in the presence of the regal Niklaus Mikaelson."

Klaus eyed the woman carefully. "How did you learn about me?"  
"You are a very famous sire. Marcel spoke about you all the time and I have ears and eyes in this town." She paced a bit making the long white dress that she was wearing give her an angelic feel.

"I was informed that you wanted to help me with an insolent problem that I need to silence."  
Selene stood stoically looking at him, her hands were now crossed at the end of her long arms and her black hair was falling perfectly along her delicate features. "I will help you kill Marcel and in return you will help me get my place back among my sisters."

"Don't you already have a coven? Why do you want to rule more witches?"  
Selene glanced for a second behind Klaus and he smiled picking it up, he slowly faced Leah that remained quiet and silent.

"This is New Orleans, there is an ongoing war between the witches." Selene said but she didn't get Klaus' attention.  
"Not my problem." Klaus answered keeping his blue eyes on the girl with dark brown eyes.

"I help you with Marcel and you allow me to rule my witches; they will serve you if you do this for me." Selene spoke again but Klaus smiled defiantly.  
"You will help me defeat Marcel and I will graciously allow you to live." he told Leah.

The witch smiled. "You need us."  
He laughed and looked at Selene. "What is your connection to Marcel?"

"We are enemies." she quickly answered.  
"All enemies have a story behind them. Friends, lovers, family… everyone had a bit of a warm history before swords were chosen."

Selene sighed. "He betrayed me."  
"Something that I… do not tolerate. The biggest crime of them all." he said eerily and before the girl wearing white could properly react he flashed and buried his teeth into her collarbone quickly draining her.

He dropped the angelic figure to the ground after snapping her neck and licked the corner of his mouth where a bit of her blood rested. Klaus sighed looking at the one with the brown eyes unaffected at all by the death that just unfolded before her eyes. "The old kings used to have a decoy as safety; they would send someone posing as the real King and then hide as a simple farmer or among the soldiers…"  
The girl chuckled. "Yeah, I watched Star Wars as well…"

"Shall we discuss the terms of our deal… Selene?"  
She nodded with a smile. "Of course."

* * *

Caroline walked down the hall clutching the box close to her chest, she was trying to remember the number of the room; she knew it was one of the last doors on the right side so she kept looking there.

She stopped in front of the room that would belong to her for the next years, her entire life was changing as she opened the door; Caroline stared into the empty room.  
Nothing but three beds, one couch and a mini fridge waited for her. Caroline stood in the middle of the huge room clutching that card box like she was clutching her very heart.

* * *

**New Orleans**

"Selene was my given name but with time everyone started calling me Leah. Don't ask why." she said dropping a candle over the alcohol, the body lit on fire and she looked at Klaus coldly.  
Klaus was somewhat intrigued. "Why the charade?"

"I've heard a lot about you. Some days Marcel would go on and on about the extraordinary man who gave him eternity. I know how moody you can get and I rather lose a few soldiers than my head."  
"I could end your little life like a bug that I wouldn't bother to remove from the bottom of my shoe."

Leah smiled as a response.  
Klaus followed the girl with his eyes as she walked away, she came to the vampire now also burning in the middle of the room.

She faced Klaus opening her arms. "All masks are off; I have nothing to lose Klaus. I have an army of highly trained witches that have embraced the dark arts, they have specific orders if I cease to breathe and every road leads back to one name."  
"What is your issue with Marcel?" Klaus asked her serious, keen on getting a hold on the girl.

But she was slippery and illusive. "I helped him with a few spells, made a few daylight rings and then when he had the city at his feet, he sent me away to exile. I've been waiting for this moment for a very long time Klaus."  
"It's all very vague; I don't even know how I could come to use you against him."

She shrugged. "I can't do this alone, but neither can you. Marcel owns this city, he educated the humans to look the other way and ignore the vampires feeding in every corner. They've learned to look away when the blood parties happen and a lot of girls are used as food and entertainment for the nightwalkers. They've grown used to ignore the ones that disappear without leaving a trace and everyone knows who is responsible, they just can't do anything about it. Marcel has his hands on the higher ranks in this town and he keeps the witches on a very tight short leash. This town was built on magic; the air in New Orleans was once thick with the supernatural but now it's only thick with blood. It's time we change that and take back what was once ours."

"Why do you trust that I will be any better than Marcel?"  
"I don't but my girl was right, there is change in the air and a war slowly brewing like a perfect storm. When it reaches New Orleans, I want to be on the winning side, I'm smart enough to stick to the vampire that sires and not the sired one."

"And if I end up killing everyone once the dust settles?"  
Leah didn't answer; she turned her back on Klaus and pointed at the pile of ashes as she left. "The train has already left the station Klaus, my girls took one of Marcel's men…" she looked at Klaus with a sweet smile. "He will be coming for him soon."

Klaus remained motionless and buried in his thoughts, he didn't trust the slick witch a tiny bit but she was crazy and that might actually be what he needed to win his duel with Marcel.

* * *

Caroline made one last trip to the car and with that gloomy feel went back to the room, she went by two girls laughing happy and excited about the move, they were trying to carry a really big puff and they would crumble with laughter every time they had to be strong.  
The silly image made Caroline grimace even more, she was suppose to be carrying Bonnie's things and showing off her vampire strength.

Caroline closed the door to the room now filled with only her boxes, she looked at the three beds trying to pick one and fought the tears that were digging their way out.  
She picked the bed closer to the window and started unpacking, with every item she removed, the tears neared and by the time she started on the second box she was crying unable to hold it anymore. This was a nightmare, Caroline sat on the bed looking around the enormous room, the sound of her sniffles echoed loudly inside the lonely four walls confining her.

Her phone gave her that buzzing sound and she unlocked the call not even carrying that she was a mess. "Yes?" she asked between sniffles.  
There was such a deep sigh from him that it made her cry harder and she covered her face. "I want to go home…"

_"You've lasted a grand total of five hours away from the dull small town, I'm proud of you."  
_The joking attitude only made her cry harder. "Make fun all you want, ok? I'm standing in the middle of a gigantic room alone. I've never been away from home and now I have to do this alone because everyone bailed on me." she cleaned her face from the tears. "Right now I'm ready to take my daylight ring and step into the sun because everything is just different from what I planned and something is wrong with Bonnie but no one takes me serious and no one seems to understand how important she is to me."

_"You've killed 12 witches to save her; I think I know how important Bonnie is to you Caroline." _His voice was full of a concern that Caroline couldn't handle right now and she closed her eyes cursing him.

"_And death by sunlight is most agonizing, I would recommend a clean stake to the heart, it hurts less sweetheart."  
_Caroline laughed, she hated that he was making her laugh with such a topic on top of it all but the tears were on hold for now. "I really thought my college adventure would start of a lot more cheerful and somewhat glamorous."

_"Go to the door love."  
_Caroline stopped breathing, literally. "Why?"

_"I suspected the pitiful lot that you call friends would let you down once again so I took upon myself to find you some company."  
_Caroline was shaking when she reached the door. "Are you going to be on the other side of this door?" she whispered into the phone.

_"Would that be your wish?"  
_Caroline had no idea what to answer and she could hear his breath holding on to her next words. "I don't know." she answered honestly.

_"Open the door sweetheart." _he said sweetly._  
_Caroline rested her head against the door for a second, suddenly she was dizzy. Not wanting to think this through she opened it fast and was overcome with a surprising disappointment.  
There was no one at the door.

"Is this a joke?" she asked staring down an empty hall.  
But before he answered, there was a noise at her feet; Caroline looked down with a soft gasp, there was the cutest most adorable puppy at her feet inside a small basket.

"You got me a puppy?" she squealed like a little girl on Christmas picking up the tiny white Maltese.  
_"I figured it was time that you started working on your torture techniques."_

Caroline laughed as the little dog playfully bit her finger with his tiny teeth, she shook her head overwhelmed. "Yes, I'll be really mean to him." No words would even be enough to express how much his gesture meant to her.  
_"In hopes that this puts off the suicide with flair to the melodramatic, I say my goodbyes now. I have a city to take over."_

"Klaus…" She stopped him from hanging up and while she stroked the soft white fur that was covering the beautiful black eyes from her new pup she spoke softly. "Thank you… for the calls during the summer and the dorm… and for the cutest gift that I ever had. For... everything that you've done without demanding anything in return." she acknowledged the huge development from him.  
_"I do expect that you will stop being stubborn and will visit New Orleans. We have a pending conversation for quite some time."_

Caroline knelt letting the puppy free, he was a little charged battery and started running around the new space he had to discover. "I already know that you are in love with me and that you have some strange notion that I will come search for you when I'm done with my future 2000 boyfriends." she blatantly teased him while the puppy returned to her jumping to catch the fingers that she held high for him.  
She could imagine Klaus smiling or maybe he was on his way to an awkward blush which made her smile.

_"I'm happy that I have a number to work with." _he surprised her with a smug voice.  
"So I don't know what you could possibly have to tell me in person." she played with the little puppy that now barked adorably at her and shook his tiny tail.

Klaus' breath changed into a grave one. _"As soon as I settle a few loose ends on my side we are having this conversation."  
_Caroline nodded strict. "Yes Sir."

It surely made him smile but she sounded all back to normality so it was easier to leave her now. _"Go easy on the new addition, try not to dress him all in pink."  
_She giggled ending the call, not all the guilt in the world could erase the way she was feeling better because of him.

The puppy managed to knock a box to the floor and grabbed her teddy bear avidly.  
"Klausy. Not the teddy!" she yelped.

* * *

**Soundtrack: **

Gasoline - _Audioslave _

Holding on and letting go -_Ross Copperman_  


Beautiful - _Mariah Carey ft. Miguel _


	4. Buried deep

"I love you Stefan... I love you so much." she said sweetly and her straight hair fell just like he loved watching it fall. It fell across her face as she tilted her head to kiss him, Elena indulged in his hair and her fingers were lost in all that wonderful blonde softness. He smiled in heaven, nothing felt as perfect as holding Elena in his arms while they kissed.

Elena stopped the kiss and her confused expression made him question her. "What's the matter?"  
She looked down on her palm all covered in water and then she pulled away from him, his shirt was soaking wet just like his hair. "There's water everywhere..."

Stefan shook his head and tried to look at her but there was something is his eyes, he couldn't see her straight and then he realized that he was looking at her from under water. Stefan struggled to speak but no words came out and she slowly faded from his sight.

Everything became dark and he was again sent back to his constant torture, he was hallucinating again and tried to scream but he couldn't breath under water.  
Now he had to wait until he blacked out again and for the nightmares to start all over again.

* * *

The little white puppy made a very angry sound barking at the little ball that stubbornly kept getting away from him, finally he was able to sink his teeth hard into it and shook his head vehemently, when he was done with it, he tossed it to side; only to run after it again.  
Caroline smiled enchanted with her new company and carried on with her task, now that she had a schedule, she was busy with her colorful marker highlighting all the important lectures that she wanted to attend.

She raised her eyes when a group of blondes wearing bright pink stopped in front of her.  
"Hi!" One of them said and handed Caroline a paper that she took expecting it to be pink. "You are very much _Venus_ material." the platinum blonde said.

"I am?" Caroline asked pulling her head back a little on a suspicious tone.  
"The Goddess of love, sexuality and passion is our motto. The first trials start in a couple of days, I hope to see you there." she cutely pursed her shoulders and then left.

Caroline held the paper a little longer watching the group follow the first blonde like a blind cult. Klausy immediately tried to chew on the piece of paper but Caroline grabbed the ball and tossed it a bit far from them so he would fetch for it instead. "You might catch a disease from the Venus lot…" she sighed placing the paper over the big pile of papers she already had.

Her phone started buzzing and she had a big smile when she took his call. "I'm being wooed, by every sorority in college." she looked at the big pile next to her.  
Klaus chuckled loudly. _"I wish them all the luck in the Universe. I'm sure they have no idea how hard their task is about to become."_

Caroline shook her loose curls. "I didn't know I was a duty…"  
_"You were a delight sweetheart. If you ever need a date for a function, I was told that I look perfect in a suit."_

She fought really hard not to roll her eyes at him. "I only said that because I knew how good the champagne would be."  
_"I'm not one to pop the cork too early love but I was just calling to make sure you include a few arithmetic lectures on your studies, we both know how bad you are with triangles."_

Caroline wished he could see how much she was judging him with all of her judging eyes. "There are so many issues with that sentence that I don't even know which innuendo to address first."  
_"Why don't you take your time with it and call me later?"_

"Aren't you getting a little too addicted to these calls Klaus?" she was unconsciously making lazy patterns on the schedule in her lap.  
_"Only comfortable."_

Caroline lost the easy smile, his voice was just that right amount of vulnerable and playful that she was getting used herself. She frowned realizing she had been making silly triangles with her pink marker and out of nowhere, a single image of his back and the triangle tattoo he had popped into her mind.  
Caroline closed her eyes confused with the unexpected image and with the even stranger rush of heat that came over her. "I… have to go. I have sororities to pick." she tried to gather her blurry thoughts.

_"I can't linger either. I have an ally to test and enemies to push."  
_"Good chest then..." she closed her eyes and shook her head fast. "Test! I meant test." she quickly corrected herself.

Klaus chuckled loudly which left her worried that he was onto her sudden thoughts about his chest and his back. But when he didn't leave a joke as a goodbye, she was able to breathe again.

Caroline tapped her chin with her phone, something was wrong with her. Why was she having such bizarre thoughts if she never had them before? Questions to add to all the others that lived inside of her, but for now she had to force an awkward conversation with the brunette walking towards her and waving at her with a smile.

The brunette sat next to her on the grass. "I got lost... the campus is enormous." Elena said softly trying to ease into a conversation with Caroline.  
The blonde pushed the pink marker harder down on the paper. "I know." she simply said.

Elena kept looking at Caroline silently until the other budged and looked at her slowly. She offered her friend a big smile.  
Caroline closed her marker. "I'm upset with you."

"I know but I love Damon and I love you." Elena's smile was just enchanting and sweet.  
"I don't like that he came between us, that never happened with Stefan."

"Damon and I have tried to reach him but he doesn't take any of our calls." Elena's voice was sad and with a sting of regret in it.  
"He's hurt Elena." Caroline stated the obvious.

"Was it that much of a shock that I finally gave in? I spent most of my time trying to save him and make others see what I always saw in Damon."  
Caroline sighed deeply and out of nowhere buried her head in her lap.

Elena was instantly apprehensive and touched the blonde's shoulders. "Care?"  
Caroline made a very big noise that was muffled by everything she was holding in her lap.

Elena smiled at a few girls that chuckled watching the scene and stroked her hair really unsure what to do so she started rubbing Caroline's back.  
The blonde moved her head watching Elena still with her head resting in her lap. "That feels nice..." she said with a small pucker of her lips.

Elena smiled and kept the soothing pattern. "I'm sorry that I forgot about the theme diner that you wanted to visit."  
"They had really cool straws and the seats were all red and covered in plastic..." Caroline said with a really sad expression.

"We could go there tomorrow if you want... I wanted to check on Jer back in Mystic Falls anyway." Elena sweetly smiled and touched her wavy hair.  
"It's not the same without Bonnie..." Caroline complained close to tears.

"No... don't cry Care..." Elena shook her head eagerly. "You have one of those crying faces that makes everyone cry once you start..."  
Caroline still pulled her lower lip over the upper one ready to cry but the small white fur of life decided to make its presence noticed and started barking in front of his owner. It made her smile and she began to stroke his fur. "This is Klausy." she introduced him to Elena.

The brunette eyed her with a strange frown. "When did you get a dog and why... Klausy?"  
Caroline pursed her lips cradling the dog in her arms. "Because he is... evil." she said slowly looking for a good excuse to name the Maltese this way.

The dog barked in the most adorable way and tilted his head to Elena.  
"That's incredibly... inconvenient." Elena said unable to wrap her head around this and stood up. "I need to go get my schedule." she left uneasily.

Caroline brought her dog closer, he tried to lick her face all happy with the proximity. "Inconvenient... she's dating a guy that slept with her mother... now that's gross."  
Klausy barked again watching her with big black eyes.

She smiled. "It's not your fault that the big bad hybrid has the same puppy eyes." she giggled. Klausy was eager to play and started nibbling on the bracelet she was wearing. "And you have a thing for those as well..." she stood up gathering all her things and holding the dog in one hand. "I suppose you don't know a beautiful dog princess like the other Klaus..." she stroked the dog's tummy.

He adorably barked once.  
"Yeah... next you will be crossing the street barely dodging a car..." she sighed.

* * *

**New Orleans **

They had been here for the longest time, Klaus recognized the famous grave as soon as they arrived to the cemetery. The grave belonged to Marie Laveau, one of the most famous witches in all of New Orleans and whose ghost many claimed to occasionally see walking around town.

He also knew that many came here to ask for favors and graces, however he was certain the woman in front of him was not on a pagan trip today. Klaus watched the young witch crouching in front of the known tomb, he was most surprised by the request to meet him here but the way Leah took her time left him sure of two things. One, that Leah knew what she was doing and that two, she was a voodoo witch.

"I knew her…" Klaus said in his calm voice.  
Leah looked back at him. "Marie Laveau?"

Klaus nodded. "She was a powerful witch and a very peculiar woman. A Jesus lover by day and a demon worshiper by night…" his smile was as wicked as they came.  
Leah smiled closing her silver lighter; she picked up on the mischievous hidden innuendo. "We've all heard the stories." She returned her eyes in front of her and grabbed the black candle, a few drops of wax fell on top of the salt and everything there quickly became a pile of ashes.

Klaus came closer to the witch. "By the thoughtful look, I am guessing the trip to the tomb of the great Voodoo Queen was to ask for a grace…"  
Leah shook her head standing up to face him. "That's for the tourists that leave a pound cake at the statue of Saint Expedite." She nodded to the other side of the street where the chapel stood representing the spirit standing between life and death. "I was asking for protection."

"I took you as arrogant enough to not ask for that."  
Leah laughed making her wavy hair today caught in a high ponytail shake along with her shoulders. "New Orleans is nothing more than a swamp filled with corpses and ghosts. As a witch I love it because we can feed from all this supernatural energy around us. We are literally surrounded by death and although I strive from it, I'm not eager to cross gates just yet."

"Your little stunt might rush things a bit. Marcel is very sensitive about those who break his rules." Klaus answered with disdain.  
Leah's smile surely reached her eyes but she was covering them with big sunglasses. "I need a drink; don't you feel like having a drink? Let's go have a drink." she walked away poking a side of him that was not smart to tamper with.

Klaus hated being kept in the dark.

* * *

Jeremy came inside the boarding house pulling his hood down, he just finished his morning jog. "Damon?" he called into the house.  
There was no answer so he assumed the vampire wasn't around, he closed his eyes and focused; when a subtle breeze tickled his face, he turned around quickly looking for her. "Bonnie?"

She showed up in front of him with that amazing smile of hers. "Hey..."  
He sighed. "How are you?"

"Dead." she gave him a cute smile.  
Jeremy was not impressed. "You are not as funny as you think."

"I am... ish..." she laughed a little which eased him.  
"I want to try something Bonnie..." he came near her and tried to touch her cheek.

"What are you doing?" she narrowed her eyebrows uneasily.  
"If we both focus and if we both wish it enough, we can touch..." he tried to make her feel his warm fingertips on her face.

"That's impossible Jer..." she whispered only feeling cold. Everything felt cold on this side.  
"It worked with Anna..." he tried to touch her arm but Bonnie took a step back.

"Anna?" she asked hurt.  
Only now Jeremy realized how much his words must have been too hasty. "Bonnie... wait." he pleaded but she was closing the veil on them already.

* * *

"I have to leave you at the room, I have a feeling they are very strict with the _no pets allowed _policy at the library." Caroline pursed her lips while Klausy nibbled on her finger.  
"It's a regime in there, they don't allow us to even breathe too loud."

Caroline turned slightly on the hall to face a very attractive boy with dark skin and beautiful piercing eyes, she was definitely struck by his beauty but the muscles perfectly displayed by the naked chest left her in awe. "Sorry?" she found the words while he tugged the shirt folded over his shoulder.  
"Not that I go often to the library... I like basketball a lot more." he dropped a flawless smile with ivory perfect teeth.

"Okay..." Caroline smiled and looked away from the model.  
"Freshman?" he asked moving the basketball ball from one hand to the other.

She nodded turning her blue eyes to him.  
"Sophomore." he smugly smiled. "If you need a tour..."

"I have a blueprint of the premises." she returned the smug smile and kept walking, leaving the random hotty on the hall.  
He laughed and threw the ball in the air. "The name is Jesse by the way."

Caroline looked behind with a cheeky smile. "I didn't ask..." she opened the door to her room disappearing inside.  
Jesse lost the smile and twirled the ball swiftly with his fingers, the vampire was really pretty.

* * *

Bonnie cleaned her first angry tears wandering through the woods surrounding the boarding house halting when she found Kol smirking and leaning against a tree.  
"He has a thing for dead darlings... that's nasty." he sneered malevolent.

"Shut up." she gritted her teeth.  
"I'm all for entertainment so if you children want to play..." he pursed his shoulders. "I'm buying the tickets for the front row."

"What does Silas want with me?" she fiercely shut his pervert side down.  
He turned his back on her. "I don't want to tell you."

"Maybe I'll make you tell me..." she narrowed her eyes using her powers on him.  
Kol bent down touching his head but reacted too quickly for her eyes and she was pushed against a tree, she raised her eyes to meet the man breathing heavily on her face.

He leaned over with his thumb pressing her chin. "Wonderful thing about this side, we can actually touch. So if you are that desperate..." he whispered tilting her head and scorching her neck with his hot breath.  
She tried to shove him away but his hand was not coy feeling her curves.

"Imagine all the fun we could have..." he stopped his lips near her ear.  
"Why is Silas still around?" she pressed his chest trying to keep him away.

Kol took in her scent and smiled because she was looking at him without an ounce of fear. "I do fancy a woman with spunk."  
"Get your hands off me." she said slowly and assertive.

His finger lingered on her skin, it was warm and soft and his chestnut eyes scanned her face, he stopped at the emerald-green eyes with a smile. "You are very beautiful little witch."  
"What do you know about Silas?"

"So many crossed the veil on that day and yet there is only you and I in here. Don't you find that a bit strange?"  
Bonnie licked her dry lips. "Those who are at peace cross over..." she tried to make sense of his words.

"A dozen witches died at the hands of your friend Caroline, do you really believe they had a peaceful crossover?"  
"No mean judgement on my friend this time?" she threw at him upset.

"Unlike the bunch of you, she did it to save your life and she did not hide behind a pathetic cure." His finger was still on her chin and he yet again traced it slowly. "Even my callous brother was ready to sacrifice his hybrids for me... poor bastard was the only one that mourned me, imagine that..."  
"Elena was lost to us as a vampire, we had to get that cure for her..."

"I wonder what will you all do now that she is forsaken to be one of us... wait... you are dead so you can't do anything but allow the Shadows to use you as their play."  
Bonnie's eyes drifted to her left, there was a black smoke approaching slowly. "Are the Shadows controlled by Silas?"

"No... by me." he smirked before flashing away.  
Bonnie gasped but the Shadows were already surrounding her and making her scream in horrible pain.

* * *

Caroline set Klausy free and came to her bed, she glanced over to the one on the far end now occupied by Elena, it had a few clothes scattered carelessly over it.  
The blonde sat on the bed in the middle, she touched the naked mattress; Bonnie should be here with them, she should be nagging Caroline about sororities that neither wanted to get into and Caroline should be trying to fix her up with Jesse or some other hotty.

They should be doing this together.  
With a jolt Caroline left the bed and grabbed Klausy. "Change of plans little one, we are going on a road trip."

* * *

**New Orleans **

"What can I get you?" the pretty blonde girl smiled behind the counter.  
"Bourbon for the man and for me..." Leah's smile was sly as she tapped the counter waiting for it.

The front door opened up to let three young men inside, they sat on a table near the window and looked at the counter. Klaus could see them by the mirror in front of him.  
Leah raised two fingers at the girl. "Two glasses please..." she narrowed her eyes reading the tag on the girl's uniform."... Camille."

The blonde nodded getting everything at once, Leah looked at Klaus that eyed her cautiously. "You are not a man of many words, are you?"  
Klaus waited for the bottle and filled two glasses, he slid one to Leah. "Am I to kill the three vampires that just arrived?"

Leah had her drink in one take and then pointed at the blonde bartender that was now serving two old men sitting on the far end of the counter. "I thought we could make things really interesting for Marcel by killing his human pet."  
Klaus recognized the blonde from the day he just arrived to New Orleans and found her in the square watching an artist but he was far from guessing her connection to Marcel. "Does your plan of action simply consist of bringing down the numbers of the ones surrounding him?" Klaus was getting tired real fast and real soon, he filled only his glass this time.

Leah took the hint with her usual swag. "Why do you want to take the city from Marcel?"  
"Because I want to." Klaus didn't bother looking at her.

"Pivotal reason Klaus but isn't this all just forced determination because of the unborn that the witches found in that werewolf?" When Klaus slowly faced her, she opened her arms. "A woman must come doubly prepared to war. If I want to play with the big boys, I must know what I'm getting myself into. Now, I know my reasons to go against Marcel but you…" she squinted.

Klaus moved on his stool so he could give her a good glimpse into his intense blue eyes. "I turned Marcel, I made him and I do not take lightly lack of gratitude and appreciation. If I must be entirely honest, I would go for his heart just for the words he spat at me in front of his… _family._ I'm making him languish slowly just for the audacity of thinking he is better than me, that he can outdo me."

"You are the Hybrid, show some God damn respect Marcel!" she said with a hint of a mocking smile and slammed the counter with her hand.  
"Very perilous line that you are walking on witch." he warned her.

She sighed and stood up. "I know and before I leave my heart bleeding on this floor at your hand, let us poke the other beast. I just wanted to make sure that we were on the same page."  
"Enjoy the next hours witch, I have a feeling that I will silence that brash tongue of yours the next time we see each other." he kept his eyes on the drink in front of him while Leah left.

* * *

Hayley went through the bottles making one annoying sound after the other, she couldn't find anything she liked among the vast collection, so she finally decided for the Scotch that had a strange yellow color and opened it not bothering to look for a glass. She barely felt it on her lips when it was snatched rudely from her hands.

Elijah scolded her putting the bottle away; she simply gave him a little shrug. "I'm sure the baby is like super special and immortal. Nothing will hurt him."  
"A theory that I hope you are not thinking of testing." he couldn't believe the girl was this reckless with her pregnancy.

"Relax _E_. I'm carrying the golden child; I'm allowed to go a little wild before Klaus comes to carve me up like a pumpkin." she looked around the big room; this was something she could get used to.  
"My name is Elijah; do not address me like I'm one of the friends that you grew up on the street with." he quietly cautioned her.

"Whatever…" she looked at him before attempting to be sassy and turning her head away. She jumped scared when Klaus showed up in front of her.  
"What's this?" he moved his eyes to his brother.

Elijah knew he had seen the small duffle bag with the girl's belongings at the door. "Hayley needs a place to stay. It's not safe for her if she's not under our protection."  
"Leave my house." Klaus looked at Hayley without a shred of emotion.

She attempted again to be sassy and cute; Klaus wasn't sure which one, just that he wanted to kill her on the spot for aggravating him with her breathing. "I'm a guest of your brother. I just need a roof."  
"Find one of the many ceilings that you have been facing before me."

"Niklaus…" Elijah quietly reproached his manners but Klaus only smiled at the girl pretending to be offended.  
"If you ever set foot into this house again I will kill you."

She smiled at him and rubbed her belly. "Not even to drop this? I don't want it after it's born."  
He smiled hugely at her. "Fantastic!" he reached out as fast as a blur gripping her throat in his hand. "Let us skip the dull movie and go straight to the credits then."

"Niklaus release her." Elijah spoke next to his brother.  
"I have at least 20 more seconds before I cut the air to the unborn child so I suggest you grab that bag and you remove every trace of her presence in _my_ house." his tight hold around her fragile trachea became stronger.

Hayley rolled her eyes to the back of her head about to lose consciousness.  
"I will find her a decent and safe home myself." Elijah nodded once at his brother.

Klaus smiled opening his hand and dropping the girl who Elijah caught before she collapsed to the ground. Hayley coughed trying desperately to breathe; Elijah looked at his brother incredulous.  
Klaus poured a generous drink for himself and faced them. "What's taking you so long?"

"She's expecting your child Niklaus. Your very blood will run in this child and not even that is enough to rise compassion in you?" Elijah was mystified but he sounded mostly disappointed.  
Klaus had his drink coldly and looked at his brother heartlessly. "She's drooling on my floor, take her away." he turned his back on the petty show.

Elijah stroked the girl's back while she leaned against his strong arms for support. "Brother…" Elijah tried one more time to reach anything good that could be left in him.  
Klaus pressed his lips in fury and pushed the bottle next to him to the floor facing Elijah. "I said take her away." he shouted, yelled enraged.

Elijah helped the girl up eyeing Klaus without fear. "Keep your yelling for yourself, I know it well."  
"Don't try again to make me feel anything for that child by bringing her around. If you do that again Elijah, I will reach down her throat and yank that baby out of her, then I will push a dagger into your heart and lock the three of you inside a coffin for eternity. I will grant you your own macabre happy family forever." he made a toast with them and then ended his drink.

He had a smile as he watched Elijah leave the house with the peasant wolf that at least found the courage to eye him with anger now. Then he could barely keep the strong alcohol down and his mind flew to the only woman he wanted in his house.  
He wasn't about to let his biggest mistake thus far taint the place he was reserving for her.

* * *

Jeremy closed the front door in a grumpy mood, things with Bonnie did not go as planned so he was in no mood for work but having Elena judging him for slacking at work was a much gloomier scenario. He was about to get inside his car when another one arrived to the driveway, he instantly sighed knowing what she wanted but he was not expecting the determined way that Caroline paced towards him or that she pinned him against his car showing her fangs and pressing his throat.  
He pulled his eyebrows together. "Care..." he was genuinely scared of her.

"What happened to Bonnie?" she asked him literally on his face.  
Jeremy didn't say anything, he kept his stunned eyes on her.

"Jeremy..." she actually snarled which made him gulp down, he had never seen Caroline like this before.  
"She's in Denver..."

Caroline clasped her lips very on edge. "I'm about to forget that you are Elena's baby brother and bleed the truth out of you... I suggest you start talking Jeremy."  
Before he said a word, Caroline was shoved off the kid and landed on the ground with Damon on top of her. Caroline was not happy at all and tried to fight him but he easily pushed his knee on her chest.

"What are you doing?" he asked her with a squint.  
"Stay out of this Damon." she wriggled her way out of his hold.

But he wasn't budging. "Elena left me in charge of her baby brother, I don't think the blonde best friend is an exception so you can't remove his head. We just got him back."  
She fought him harder this time so he moved away from her but still eyeing her carefully he stood as a shield for Jeremy and easily stopped her when she tried to get past him.

"Damon stop!" Jeremy asked him when he realized things were bound to get out of hand.  
"Where is Bonnie?" she asked again, when he didn't answer she snapped and flashed but was cruelly stopped by Damon again that kept her arm behind her back in a painful joint-lock.

"Don't make me hurt you." he told her upset.  
"Is that a joke?" she asked between her teeth.

He simply tilted his head to the side, finally Caroline seemed to calm down and looked at Jeremy with nothing but fresh tears in her eyes. "I know that something isn't right, I have to know the truth Jeremy. She's my best friend... I deserve to know."  
Jeremy gulped down and looked on the ground. "Bonnie is dead." his words fell like ice on her and even Damon looked behind his shoulder with a baffled expression.

Jeremy took a deep breath to steady his heart. "She didn't survive the Expression magic and it killed her, she was one of the ghosts that were on this side on graduation day. When she pushed the veil back up, she made sure I stayed here but she stayed on the other side." He shook his head slightly at Caroline. "I didn't know how to tell you and she asked me to keep it a secret as well... I'm sorry Caroline..."

Damon slowly released Caroline and the blonde covered her mouth about to cry. "I knew it... I knew that something was wrong... Oh God, I knew..." she whispered on a breaking point.  
"I have been talking to her so I can tell you that she's ok..."

"Ok?" Caroline snapped angrily. "She's dead, and you didn't tell anyone about it. I spent the entire summer calling her..." her voice was hoarse as she tried to cope with the harsh painful truth of it all.  
"Caroline..." Damon had a strange attempt to be kind but she shut him down immediately with her stare.

She rushed to her car with tears dancing in her eyes and an eminent break down that she refused to have.  
Caroline started the car unsure where to go so she drove aimlessly until she couldn't focus enough to keep driving. The flood was coming but she still tried to keep it down; her phone began to buzz and she quickly took it but didn't take the incoming call. It wasn't Tyler that she wanted to talk to.

Caroline looked outside, she was surprised that she ended up here of all places but slowly left the car; she glanced over to the back seat where the little white dog was sleeping and left towards the house.  
It was so strange that her footsteps echoed so loudly, it wasn't empty because Klaus left everything as it was but she found the big staircase majestic and the mantel bigger, the furniture looked exquisite as she remembered but everything looked colder, soulless to her without him here.

Caroline paced in front of the dead fireplace as aimlessly as she had been driving and finally sat down on the couch; the darkness of the house seemed to cover her entirely and she seemed to shrink, slowly Caroline curled up in the couch and allowed the big breakdown to come forward.

Caroline hugged her knees and cried, her body shook heavily with her big sobs buried in the darkness of his empty house.  
Her best friend was dead.

* * *

**Soundtrack:**

Twice - _Little dragon_

Tattoo - _Jordin Sparks_

Wise up (It's not going to stop)___ - Aimee Mann_


	5. The end of Summer

"_I told you that was her car..."  
_The voice was strong and she recognized it immediately. Caroline opened her eyes slowly, she must have dozed off from exhaustion after crying so much. "Matt…" she smiled when she saw the bright blue eyes of her friend.

"What are you doing here Care?" he asked crouching in front of her.  
Caroline sat up wanting to cry again, she pursed her lips and looked down on her hands. "Bonnie is dead…"

"I'm sorry… I didn't…" Matt staggered with words and massive confusion.  
Caroline looked up at him slowly nodding. "She was missing all summer and I knew something was wrong and Jeremy finally told me the truth, she died before Graduation Matt…"

He stood up numbly, he shook his head refusing to believe another one of them was lost.  
Caroline stood up from the couch and came near him. "Matt?" she touched his shoulder.

"How did we lose Bonnie?" He turned around to face her clueless.  
Caroline wanted to stop crying but the tears were coming again. "I don't know…" she had been asking herself that same question. "But we lost her to this damn town and these fights that keep taking everyone that we love away from us. She's gone Matt…"

Matt quickly pulled her into his arms and Caroline gripped his leather jacket hard, crying in his arms. She pulled away when she heard the little dog barking, she had forgotten about him.  
Rebekah was standing next to the couch quietly watching the scene and holding Klausy in her arms, she stroked the head of the dog sweetly. "I found him in the car."

Caroline smiled a bit taking the dog from her arms; Klausy loved the change and shook his tale. "I was tired and this was the closest house…" she tried to explain why she was caught in here.  
"The bedrooms upstairs would have been more comfortable." Rebekah said in a sweet voice and looked at Matt.

He was staring at the mantel and she was concerned for him. "Can I do anything Matt?"  
"I'm going to see Jeremy." he simply said and left the house.

Rebekah tried to show indifference from the cold blow and looked at Caroline. "Perhaps drinks are in order."  
The other blonde cuddled Klausy closer. "The Grill opens early." she said and left the house that only reminded her of _him_.

* * *

**New Orleans**

Klaus looked up from the laptop in the big table as Elijah came inside the house. "I did not expect to see you back so soon. If you are here to pack your things, there was no reason really; I could have sent them to whatever luxurious haven you are wasting on that girl."  
Elijah took a long silent look at his brother that returned his attention to the laptop. "You have not burned my belongings yet?" he asked with a strange tone in his voice.

It made Klaus look at him again. "We have not come to those ugly displays of a bad breakup yet."  
Elijah puckered his eyebrows. "I'm relieved that you are aware that my blind loyalty to you is slowly fading away by your atrocious actions Niklaus."

Klaus smiled closing his laptop. "I like making justice to my reputation."  
Elijah watched him with a shaking head. "It took me a long time to agree with the rest of the world. There is nothing left of my brother in you."

Klaus fought to keep the smile. "I'm happy that you've arrived to where everyone else is. It's never too late I suppose." he grabbed a jacket ready to leave the house.  
"I had hoped that I was not that naive in my convictions and that your constant battle to have a family was a sign that there was still something worth saving in you."

Klaus faced his brother with a sad smile. "I find it extraordinary that you are so assertive that a child will be able to persuade me into this fantasy you have where I will be human again and weak as I once was. If you really wanted this for me, why not give me the cure when you had the chance? Or better yet, have it yourself."  
Elijah frowned taken by the possibility.

"Yes Elijah, why not take the cure and go make a family for yourself? You are that desperate for one."  
"I wanted redemption for you not for me…" Elijah quietly said.

"I don't want redemption." Klaus spoke loudly, verging on yelling. "I don't want to be saved. I want to be left alone." he added in a low voice and turned away again.  
"Is that what you really want?" Elijah asked him before Klaus opened the front door.

Klaus licked his lips and faced his brother again. "You that so stoically defend to know me better than anyone else; tell me, what do I really want Elijah?"  
"I'm ashamed to admit that I don't know anymore Niklaus. That apparently I never did when I simply assumed that this power craving of yours wouldn't destroy you entirely. At least the brother that I loved and that wouldn't turn his back on a defenseless child that is already in danger because it is linked to you."

"I am one with the Midas touch. Everyone around me either dies or turns against me, I've grown used to it by now. I asked for loyalty, love and a family. I wasn't given any of it and the hardest I fought for it; the more I was reminded that none of it was meant for me. If bloodline wasn't enough to have my family by my side then there is not a single chance in all of hell that I will let it rule my life now. You have all made your choices, and I've made mine. You may address me as Klaus from now on Elijah; it is how the rest of the world perceives me." Klaus left the house without looking back.

Elijah was definitely struck by it and could barely believe that Klaus briskly cut him off like that.

* * *

"We had strong alcohol back at the house you know?" Rebekah looked at Caroline that didn't drink; she just stared at her glass.  
The blonde just nodded in a strange daze and held the tiny dog closer to her, like he was the last thing standing between her and a serious collapse.

"I'm sorry but dogs are not allowed in here…" The new guy working at The Grill told Caroline.  
She clutched Klausy close and gave the boy a very appalled look. "He stays right here with me."

"He is very cute but we can't make any exceptions…" he tried to smile and flirt his way a bit with the blonde that pressed her lips tight and narrowed her eyebrows disturbed.  
Rebekah touched the boy's arm and then compelled him to leave them alone and not pick on the dog, he nodded leaving them at once.

"Do you want to cry or perhaps scream? It should make you feel better." she smiled at Caroline.  
Caroline shook her head stroking Klausy's ears. "I'm ok."

Rebekah turned to the bottle, this was most frustrating and she had no idea what to do, she decided to call Matt.

* * *

Matt looked at his phone refusing the call, he was still dealing with Jeremy. "How could you hide something this big from all of us?"  
"Bonnie asked me to." Jeremy said again.

"Bonnie is dead, what difference does it make what she wants? She doesn't have a saying in all of this."  
"Easy there Donovan. We've all got the message loud and clear." Damon had another drink scolding Matt for the aggressive and loud voice.

"Stay out of this Damon." Matt snapped.  
"So now that we are dating an Original, we are all mighty and powerful?" Damon warned him with a look and came closer to the human. "Nice expensive clothes by the way, I see you lost the shame and decided to pimp her. She was paying for the world tour so why not for the rest huh?"

"At least she didn't have to sire me." Matt dropped dryly.  
Damon smiled and stopped inches away from his face. "Did she buy you some bravery as well?"

"Leave him alone Damon." Jeremy asked from the couch.  
The other two faced each other in a bad volatile way but Damon was the first to break away, he had his drink and tried to tame his short temper.

"I know that I screwed up Matt but I didn't know what to do." Jeremy looked at his friend in pain. "I felt guilty because she saved me; she sacrificed so I could stay on this side with Elena. I was dead and she brought me back for a second time and I don't deserve any of this." he shook his head in anguish.  
Damon offered him the drink in his hand. "Here kid, you could use this."

Jeremy could barely smile when he took the drink from Damon's hand.  
Everyone looked at door as Elena stormed inside. "What happened?" she looked at everyone but rested her eyes on Matt. "Damon said something happened to Bonnie."

"She's dead Elena…" Matt said slowly touching her arms.  
Elena gasped incredulous and held on to him. "But… how?"

"She didn't resist all the spells she had been doing." Matt quietly explained it to her. "The Expression magic killed her."  
"It's all my fault Matt… Oh God, it's all because of me… it was all because of that cure, she was trying to help me…" Elena said between tears that began to fall and a desperation that she could barely hold back.

Matt shook his head and pulled her closer to him soothing her with his hand in the back of her head, Elena cried harder while Damon gritted his teeth upset that she was only seeking comfort in him and the blonde that just arrived wasn't that happy either. Rebekah watched them with a very ill expression.

* * *

Klaus checked his phone once again making sure this was the right address and went inside the Bar. The dodgy looking place was full for this hour of the day and he sat on the only empty table. It gave him a good view around the place and he ordered a fairly expensive bottle of Scotch and two glasses.

He was pouring the beverage when two large men pretending to have a serious pool match near him, came to the table.  
"Are you expecting the company? There are two glasses and only one of you." One of them poke him with a heavy New Orleans accent.

"Very observant of you." Klaus smiled filling the two glasses; he moved one closer to the man holding a stick. "Care to join me, Landon?"  
The two men looked at each other and suddenly the bar went very quiet. More men approached the table forming a nice group behind the tall dark-haired man.

"How do you know my name?" The man asked uneasily.  
"My name is Klaus." he smiled having his drink.

The group became immediately nervous and the one he offered a drink sat down taking the drink with a shaking hand. "What business brings you to this forsaken place?"  
Klaus easily took the bottle refilling his drink. "I've chosen New Orleans to live and it has come to my knowledge that Marcel has not banished only the witches from the city but also the werewolves."

There was a unison growl from all the men and the one sitting at the table broke the stick in his hand upset. "He only allows his disgusting vampires to live in the city now."  
Klaus' smile was big as he took the glass to his lips. "As a fellow wolf, I find that unacceptable."

The man looked at his pack and then back at Klaus. "You are not here to kill us?"  
"I don't know from where you got that idea."

Landon was baffled with Klaus' innocent ways and leaned over the table, he tapped the surface with his big palm. "With all due respect…" he started slowly. "We don't want to be turned into hybrids."  
"The word is improved but I am not offering that either." Klaus looked at the big group of men in front of him in that regal way of his. "What I am offering is the chance to take the city back from Marcel. He underestimated the werewolves and I was told you have a big grudge against Marcel, I'd like to support that grudge."

The one Klaus knew to be the pack leader smiled. "What do you want in return for this generous offer of yours?"  
"I will give you everything you ask for; money, a house; anything that money can buy and in return we work as a pack."

Landon shook his head. "Forgive me Klaus but we don't want that. We don't need the money, we will take what was once ours but we only want one thing in return."  
Klaus squinted as the pack surrounded the table, he was really in no mood to kill a bunch of wolves but the words that left Landon left him quite bewildered.

"I've heard that your werewolf side was awakened quite late so you never truly experienced life in a pack. Allow us the privilege of showing you what a true pack is all about and then we will show Marcel why werewolves bite harder." Landon took the bottle and filled Klaus' glass.  
Klaus took it mildly surprised by the constant shift in his original plans but he didn't have anything to lose and truth was he was intrigued by the proposition, he could easily force them with the use of sheer violence but he was curious to the core.

Was a loyalty conquered by friendship and bonding through that unique link in a pack stronger than a forced one? Caroline once told him that he couldn't buy everything he wanted and snap his fingers for the things he demanded so maybe it was time to try things her way.

Klaus made a toast with Landon. "You are all guests to my house."  
The men seemed very happy about it and Landon had his drink excited to go back home.

* * *

"Mom?" Caroline called into her empty house; she hadn't seen the car around but still she hoped Liz was home.  
Caroline went to her room in a very gloomy mood letting Klausy play on her bed while she picked her phone.

She fondled with her hair twirling it in a big spiral while she searched for his number, Caroline closed her eyes in sheer agony that it was out of service. She needed to talk to him.  
On an impulse she tossed the phone to the bed and Klausy quickly found it entertaining, Caroline couldn't even tell him the phone was off-limits because she started pacing around; she rested her hands on each side of her tense neck and tried to gather her thoughts.

Bonnie was dead and not on some weird summer trip, she tried to remember the last time they spoke and the tears menaced to return; at Graduation day while she was rambling about the future Bonnie was already dead.  
Caroline covered her face wanting to cry again. "Why didn't you say anything Bonnie? Why did you hide this from me?" she paced around heartbroken. "Maybe there was a way to save you and now… I've lost you." Caroline broke down with a hoarse voice.

_"Caroline? Are you there?" _The familiar voice echoed through the house and she waited until he came inside the room.  
"Hey…" Tyler said and quickly pulled his lips together. "I just heard about Bonnie, Matt called me." he took Caroline into a hug that wasn't returned, Caroline was hit with a million different feelings and none of them were of extreme joy to finally see her boyfriend in person.

Tyler stroked her back and pulled a little away from her to kiss her, he left a small peck on her lips which she barely answered because she was struggling with her mind. He gently brushed her chin with his fingers. "How are you?"  
"I lost my best friend…" she said in a low voice.

Tyler rubbed her arms gently. "I'm sorry Care, you were right after all but there was no way we could have known."  
"You could have believed me." she said with glistening eyes.

Tyler leaned over kissing her forehead sweetly. "We need to tell her father and arrange for the burial."  
Caroline shook him off her quickly and he looked at her stunned. "Don't! Just don't." she pointed at him.

"Caroline… I know that it's hard but we need to make arrangements, Elena is going to try to reach her mother somehow…"  
Caroline raised her hands in the air walking around in circles. "Stop with the burial talk and her mother? She abandoned Bonnie, you have all lost your minds."

Tyler didn't say anything, it was clear that she was having a hard time adjusting to reality and he looked at the bed frowning with the white Maltese attentively watching them. "Who are you?" he came near the dog bending over to touch him.  
Klausy fiercely showed his teeth and snarled at him before barking mad.  
Tyler moved his hand away with a heavy frown. "Pesky little thing…"

Caroline covered her face tired and stroked her closed eyes, her phone began to buzz and Klausy used his paw to poke it intrigued by the light on the screen.

"Why is Klaus calling you?"  
Caroline slowly opened her eyes looking at Tyler that held her phone very upset.

"What the hell is going on?"  
Caroline clicked her teeth anxious.

* * *

**New Orleans**

Marcel smiled in a big flirt. "Can I have another drink?"  
"You haven't paid for that one yet." Camille started cleaning another set of glasses.

"I don't pay for anything in this town." he smugly shrugged.  
"You are in my bar now Marcel; in here, you pay." she smiled picking another glass to clean.

"Are you saying no to the king?" he asked with a sly smile.  
"I love danger." she replied serious and tilting her head to the side. "Pay for your drink Marcel or my boss makes me pay for it."

Marcel dropped a few bills on the counter. "I should buy the bar. I don't have a clue why I haven't yet…"  
"Because you like the bartender and you know I would never date my boss." Camille said without looking at him.

He showed his magnificent smile as he stood up from the stool. "You haven't agreed to go on a date with me anyway… why should I hope for a change of heart?"  
"You give up easily King; I didn't expect that from you." she took only the money he owed and handed him back the rest. "Keep the change, I can't be bought."

He took the money smoldering her with his naughty stare. "You know that the tough game is only making me come back for more, don't you?"  
"My shift starts everyday at 8… I'll be waiting." she dismissed him by turning her back on him but he saw her looking at him by the mirror.

He stopped by the door and gave her one last look before leaving the Bar, he nodded at two of his men that were casually keeping watch across the street and started walking carelessly. He caught the scent just a few steps down the street and stopped to face the girl. "What could you want with me now?"

Hayley nodded to the alley nearby and Marcel reluctantly followed her. She pulled her scarf down and showed him a big bruise. "Klaus did this."  
"I don't care how rough the sex is." Marcel was annoyed and bored already.

"I came to you for protection and it's very public domain how Klaus is still in New Orleans planning a revolution while you don't do a damn thing to stop him." Hayley snapped.  
Marcel squinted and pursed his lips. "Ummm…" he looked thoughtful and then flashed grabbing her throat exactly where Klaus had. "Do you want to know what I found out? That Klaus isn't the only thing that is public domain." he hissed on her ear while she struggled to breathe.  
"Apparently you are very easy-going and I'm beginning to think that Klaus was pushed into a nice little trap by the witches."

Hayley frowned and he opened his hand allowing her to breathe.  
"I mean, how did they actually knew that you had been under Niklaus? My Sire may be ruthless and cold but he isn't one to kiss and tell. So I'm left wondering how they suspected you had been with him in the first place. All questions that I will find answers to." Marcel turned his back on her. "Our deal didn't specify that you were protected against me by the way."

Hayley rubbed her throbbing throat; things were definitely not going her way.

* * *

"Caroline, I made you a question." Tyler pressed waving the phone with the call she wanted to take.  
"I've been exchanging calls with Klaus." she admitted quietly.

Tyler pressed his teeth furious and slammed her phone against the wall raging, it shattered into all these tiny pieces and she looked at him with tears dancing in her eyes. "Is that why he said I could come back?"  
Caroline shook her head unable to speak.

"Did you promise to call him in exchange for the end of my exile? Or did you promise him something else?" Tyler asked her slowly.  
Her shock was all visible in her face. "What are you even insinuating?"

"I don't know. I risked my life to come back on Prom night and he caught me as I left the house, he came up with this shared interest crap and that he wanted to make you smile and if it was all worth it coming back… I should have suspected that something wasn't right…"  
Caroline licked her very dry lips. "He didn't harm you?"

Tyler laughed bitterly. "No Caroline, he said that he didn't want to ruin your perfect night."  
She looked down on the ground, her head was spinning with the unknown information but she had to focus on the one standing in front of her demanding explanations. "Tyler… nothing happened. He just called me one night and I was alone and I wanted to talk to someone. Elena was with Damon the entire time, Matt went away with Rebekah. Stefan was out of town, Bonnie…" she gulped down with the harsh truth. "And you were gone even when he said you could come back to me. I was all alone and… he was there. He just wanted to know how I was and I started rambling about my horrible summer and he just listened and… we just started talking. I wasn't doing anything wrong." she tried to fight her own bad conscious.

"Did he tell you about Hayley?"  
Caroline gave her shoulders a slight movement. "What about her?"

"Your confidant didn't tell you?" he smiled with a cutting feel to it.  
"Tell me what?" she asked already fearing his answer.

"Well your big summer hero slept with Hayley while they were both in town and apparently there's something mystical about a hybrid having sex with a werewolf and he got her pregnant." Tyler dropped the bomb coldly on her, just to see her raw reaction. He clenched his jaw as again the shock spread fast across her pale features; this time she looked about to faint so he walked away from her. "Your new friend is going to a dad." Tyler hissed fuming and walked away.  
"Tyler please..." she managed to react.

"What do you feel for him Caroline?" he asked calmer now.  
"Nothing…" she whispered.

"You are not just lying to yourself you know? You are lying to me as well."  
Caroline shook her head. "I love you." she said like she was stating a fact.

"Do you know why I haven't come back Caroline? Because I was helping Hayley find her family and because I was helping other werewolves and while I was out there in the woods trying to make their lives easier to handle; I realized that distance wasn't the only thing between us. On that Prom night, I wasn't the one that you wanted to be dancing with." he devastatingly said and left.  
Caroline staggered a bit before she slumped on the ground harshly, she clasped her hands and brought them to her lips, she blinked and the first painful tears fell. Everything was so wrong and the pain was crippling her.

Her little dog jumped from the bed quickly coming to her and she held him close while she quietly cried. She wanted her life back and not this horrible pain inside of her and she wanted to believe that Bonnie's death was the real cause for Tyler's words to hurt her this much but there was only so much she could bear by lying to herself.

* * *

**New Orleans**

Klaus left the car trying her number again; the fact that it was disconnected was not that reassuring, especially considering that she had called him and that now he couldn't reach her.  
He locked his car and crossed the street to his house when he sensed it.

Klaus stopped in the middle of the sidewalk turning his head to the girl standing there.  
He gulped down, maybe he was hallucinating and she was just a product of his biggest wish.

But the blonde whose wonderful long blonde locks waved with the little wind in the cool summer night was very real, so were her painful and tired features and Klaus immediately feared her reasons behind the most surprising visit.  
"Caroline…" he barely started to only cut his own speech short. He could tell she had been crying.

Caroline was clutching the car keys hard because after all those calls seeing him for the first time was overwhelming and she wasn't expecting the way it hit her hard. It left her without a breath and she barely found the ability to focus on what propelled her to come all the way to him.

So she pushed the way he looked so handsome in his dark shirt and the way it looked incredible with the leather jacket and the way his eyes were so blue under the moonlight and how he looked simply perfect while framed with the beautiful city behind him with all the lights; she pushed all that to the back of her mind. She had to ignore how he looked truly in his element and how she easily forgot about all the horrible things he ever did because nothing felt as horrible as what led her here.

"Is it true?" she quietly asked him destroying the perfect bubble they had both been living in during the summer.

* * *

**Soundtrack: **

Broken arrow (Acoustic)-_ Pixie Lott _

The mess I made - _Parachute_


	6. Turning tables

**AN: **New cover by the endlessly talented nfinneman on Tumblr. I am in awe! And looking for ways to not disappoint for all the amazing support.

* * *

**New Orleans**

Klaus dropped the keys and looked at the bottle, he could use a drink because his jaw was tense and his tongue was lazy, unable to deliver the words that she had come here set on listening.  
He turned around facing the blonde that was actually here, in the city he imagined showing to her but she was not here as part of the perfect canvas he had painted in his mind. He should have known by now that Caroline had the particular ability to shift every single resolution he was certain to see his way through; she always somehow managed to make him cave in before her.

Caroline quickly skimmed through the big room; the house was darker than the one he had back in Mystic Falls but perhaps that was just because her eyes were only seeing the darkness looming inside of her. Her weary blue eyes landed on his and she kept them there, trying to read anything in them that would help her find a reason to all of this.  
"For someone so talkative during our calls, you are strangely silent now." she finally spoke knowing that if she wanted to walk away with answers she would have to dig them out of him.

"Actually you did most of the talking…" he said with a hint of a smile.  
Caroline shrugged. "You could have stopped me by mentioning that you were going to be a daddy."

He could really use that drink now, Klaus licked his lips unable to actually tell her the words he had been avoiding saying out loud.  
Caroline sat down on the couch tired; she was verging exhaustion and touched her forehead before facing him again.

"I tried to tell you many times." he finally managed something on the lines of an actual sentence.  
"You know, when you kept saying that you wanted to tell me something in person, I actually was expecting something more on the lines of, _hey Caroline, I have been turning and siring half of New Orleans, you should come check it out._" she looked down to the floor. "Not this."

"You would have accepted that in exchange for these news that are upsetting you so much…" he quietly said absorbing every single line in her face as it changed whenever the thought of what he had done assaulted her.  
Her lips parted into another tired smile. "Mass murder trumps sleeping around with Hayley." she felt a foul taste in her mouth by just mentioning her name.

"Perhaps you are giving this too much importance, one that she doesn't deserve." Klaus turned to the bottle, he needed a drink fast.  
Caroline lifted her eyes angrily at him and stood up from the couch. "I'm the one giving her importance? Well Klaus, I'm not the one that chased Tyler out of town with deranged death threats and then went and slept with the one that may I remind you, betrayed you as well. She made you kill 12 hybrids to complete the triangle and apparently her reward was your baby." The words felt stranger now that she said them and she sat back down on the couch.

Klaus kept his back on her; he was pondering drinking the entire bottle at this point. The words were strange for him as well.  
"How is this even possible?" she asked and he wasn't sure if she was talking about the mystical pregnancy or the insufferable act itself.

He looked at her wishing this wasn't between them. "If you figure the answer to that one, I'm the first in line for the answers." he said solemnly having his generous drink.  
"Aren't you the world's most powerful creature? Answers should come to you easily."

He twirled the drink in his glass, he didn't feel that powerful right now and she was the reason for it. He watched as Caroline touched her forehead again and he could easily tell how wrecked she looked but he knew it was something else. "What happened?"  
The question made her look at him and she was caught in a lot of feelings that she was heroically ignoring when she only had his voice to handle; she looked away from him. "Bonnie is dead. I confronted Jeremy and he finally told me the truth, she died before graduation and they were just hiding it all from everyone." she said with a sigh and darted her eyes at him when he moved. "Don't you dare!" she quickly warned him and stood up.

"I wasn't going to hug you." he said handing her the glass.  
Caroline took it slowly but kept her eyes on him.

"But we are friends now and I would like to know if there is anything I can do." How much of a weak man he felt for having the need to hold on to that tiny link between them.  
She had the drink numbly and wasn't even aware that she was smiling. "Friends don't hide joyful news like babies. They ask for help choosing names." she acidly dropped.

"Are you not in a relationship with Tyler? One that from what I remember when I was in his body, is very physical." he returned the acid words right on the same level and Caroline harshly gulped down the strong Scotch.  
She handed him the empty glass. "Thanks for the drink Klaus." she headed for the door.

"Are you finally turning your back on me?" his voice was loaded with pain and Caroline faltered because of the honesty behind it.  
She faced him unsure of how this was going down, just that it wasn't going to be pretty. "I'm not sure why I haven't before, you've clearly moved on."

There was not a single trace of emotion in his hard features and for the longest second Caroline felt the sting of the lack of humanity in Klaus.  
It happened so fast that Caroline only blinked when she was already pinned against the door with Klaus breathing hard on her face and his hand powerfully pressing her chest, her breath picked up and she looked at him confused.

Klaus scanned her face with his eyes; she was used to the way he looked at her, like he constantly marveled upon something that she couldn't see in herself but she was overwhelmed by it nonetheless.  
"Has it crossed your mind that I was with Hayley because I couldn't have you?" he whispered.

Caroline stopped breathing altogether and scanned his face in return, a thousand years behind him and all those deaths at the hand that was pinning her to this door, and all she could see was that need to be loved, one that she knew well because it was part of her as well. "All that speech about being my last love, however long it took? You forgot to mention that in the meantime you were going to make a few babies and catch an STD from a slutwolf that has exactly two expressions, pouting and sulking."

There was a small smile in Klaus and she couldn't understand why but suddenly his hold on her wasn't so strong and his thumb was gently stroking the skin exposed by her top and Caroline felt like her collarbone was being set on fire. "Why does it bother you so much that I have been with Hayley?"  
Caroline fondled with words immediately and looked down from the set of eyes that seemed to be looking into her soul. "It bothers me that you didn't tell me..."

He could see how she was struggling to tell him the right words and these forged ones weren't the ones he wanted to hear so his hand left her chest so he could touch her cheek; now he only saw a nice glimpse of panic cross her ivory features and if she had a beating heart it would be racing as he leaned over. "It shouldn't bother you so much, should it love? After all you begged for Tyler's life and I did spare him because of you. I gave him back to you but he wasn't there, I was." he was inches away from her lips relishing in the way her chest was rising and falling in a growing alarm for the closeness.

"Time to collect on the good deed? I knew there was a catch behind all that goodness during the summer." she managed to say before she took in a sharp breath because he lost his hand in her hair, touching the back of her neck.  
"I need you to tell me why you are really upset love."

"It doesn't work that way Klaus." she rested her hand against his chest, pushing him away from her slowly.  
Surprisingly he didn't fight her and only looked at her puzzled; she always said the most unbelievable things to him.

"I am going to leave now and you are going to let me go and not follow me." she said slowly.  
"Is that what you came here to do Caroline?" he asked still terribly close to her.

She shook her head. "I came to tell you that somewhere along the summer I forgot about the times you tried to kill me and the people you killed around me and I almost forgot why I was fighting so hard but now I don't know what I'm doing here anymore." she turned away fast to open the door.

"That little voice inside your head Caroline is not your conscience; it's your ego claiming that you are far better than me. When you have done nothing but play me, be a distraction when others needed you to be one and use a weakness that I should have never showed you, against me. When it served your purposes you were able to look past the man I became and see the one that you wanted but I've been as much of a sinner in this as you have. I have allowed it to go far enough, when you clearly are still a long way to come from your still very green 18 years of age." he faced away from her knowing she was leaving now.

Caroline fought the tears that danced in her clear eyes and left the house; she rushed to her car and drove away fast. Fast and away from him and the pain because nothing hurt more than the raw truth.

* * *

Rebekah wrinkled her nose and pursed her lips making a face to the little bubbly white thing that Caroline left her in charge, it didn't take long to fall for the tiny dog and she smiled when he tried taking the pillow from her hand with his fierce tiny teeth.  
She pulled it a little and Klausy fought her harder until he finally stopped and barked at her.

"It's that all you got little Klausy?" she played with the pillow pushing the dog away that barked louder and then started pulling again.  
"Rebekah..." Matt said from the fireplace.

She looked up from the couch. "What? I didn't name him, Caroline did."  
Matt gave her one of his serious looks and she rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'm taking him out for a walk. The mood in here is very dark and gloomy for him." she picked the dog and left the house.

"Sorry..." Matt said without many explanations, it was hard explaining everything that Rebekah was.  
Elena sniffled looking at the flames. "It's ok... she's not here to mourn Bonnie..." the brunette looked at Matt. "How is everything between you and her?"

"Subtle Elena, must be all of those vampires senses." he smiled at her.  
Elena smiled looking away from his sky blue eyes. "You know how much I care for you Matt, I'm just concerned. I can't lose anyone else." she whispered.

Matt moved taking her again into his arms; he stroked the back of her neck soothingly. "I'm fine; I don't really have anything serious with her. We made it clear that we wouldn't be a couple or anything like that, besides what happened was to stay there so now that we are back home it's sort of awkward... but not going anywhere." he kept the pattern on her neck and Elena pulled a little away to look at him.  
"Are you sure she knows that? Because I'm not sure Matt..."

He playfully leaned his forehead against hers and smiled. "Maybe I should write her a letter." he wiggled his eyebrows.  
Elena gasped and punched his chest. "You are making fun of me."

He rubbed his chest aching from her strength. "At the time I was pretty mad with your list of the reasons why you couldn't be with me but now I think it was just cute."  
Elena shook her head smiling and flipped her wavy hair. "I was trying really hard not to break your heart."

"You mentioned that a few times during the really long letter..." he teased her again.  
Elena clasped her lips and he covered his chest with an arm. "Stop hitting me because that hurts."

She smiled evilly and tried punching him again and he tried to grab her hand but she was faster and they ended up laughing and playfully trying to stop her from hurting him.  
Elena stopped when the front door was harshly closed, she gulped down touching her hair when she saw Damon standing there, he looked at them and then without a word left to his room.

"I'll be right back." she told Matt and rushed after her boyfriend.  
Matt pressed his lips hard but knew he would make things worse by staying around so he went outside. He found Rebekah watching Klausy chewing on the Camaro's tires and he shoved his hands inside the leather jacket.

She could already tell what he was struggling to say. "Don't bother Matt, I heard everything." She looked at the dog instead of him.  
"No hard feelings?" he asked slowly, he wasn't that much of a cold bastard to leave her hanging like that.

Rebekah shook her long straight hair and gave him a perfect smile. "No feelings whatsoever."  
He nodded slowly walking away, he still looked back but restrained from leaving her with the dreadful, _we can still be friends _line.

* * *

**New Orleans **

Klaus heard the noise and he had to turn to be sure Marcel was that audacious.  
The big man with the flawless smile proved him so. "I apologize for the late visit." he said without meaning it.

Klaus had his drink looking behind the other vampire; a group of 5 vampires came in and stood behind Marcel. "Apparently there is a party at my house and I was not informed about it."  
"Pity that the most beautiful guest just left..." Marcel smiled and paced a little around the big room. "I admit that you have some nice taste, the blonde looks feisty and I do like a curvy woman." he looked at Klaus trying to read the hybrid but Klaus remained as cold and unreadable as he expected.

"Do you need help finding a woman Marcel?" Klaus simply asked pulling the glass away from his lips.  
"What I need is for you to stop killing my vampires, it's not funny anymore." Marcel lost the smile and spoke serious now.

"I haven't had fun with your herd today so I don't really know what you are talking about."  
Marcel took a medallion from inside his pocket and threw it at Klaus' feet. "I really hope that's not who I think it is. There are rumors that there is a coven in town..."  
"You are right Marcel; it's late for maddening visits and rambling speeches." he turned his back on Marcel.

"Caroline Forbes, now that's a nice Southern name. It has a nice ring to it." Marcel opened his hands smiling at his vampires and then pulled a mocking sad face. "But I heard that poor baby vampire only has her mama left, how heartbreaking it would be if anything happened to the good Sheriff of the small town that saw my Sire grow up."  
Klaus dropped the glass on the table slowly. "Now Marcel..." he spoke eerily and calmly. "I know that you haven't come all the way to _my_ house to threaten me." he turned around coldly and with his head high. "Have you?"

"Just to ask politely that you stop taking down my army."  
"An army can easily be replaced."

Marcel smiled as his vampires started leaving the house. "Unlike other valuable assets. Goodnight Niklaus." he closed the door behind him as he swiftly left the house.  
Klaus refilled his glass, pointed his drink at the door and smiled; then he finished his drink.

* * *

Jeremy left the Mayor's office with a tight heart, now that had been horrible to do but he should be the one to tell her father that Bonnie was dead.  
He had his hands inside the sweater and pulled his shoulders closer, it wasn't even a cold day but his bones were aching with a strange ice.

He bumped into someone on the street; he barely reacted on time to catch April before she tipped over. "Sorry April, I didn't see you."  
She giggled as he helped her back on her feet and managed to keep the two big books she was holding without dropping them. "I didn't see you either. I'm... clumsy." she smiled shaking her head with the silly moment.

Jeremy smiled as well. "Are you studying for school already?"  
She looked down on what she was holding. "Not really, I took over Caroline's list of activities and she did a lot of things in this town." April sighed. "Among them..." she raised the books. "Reading for the children in the hospital."

"Really?" Jeremy was surprised.  
"I have no idea how she did all that, it's a really big list." April narrowed her eyebrows remembering it.

Jeremy smiled and casually looked behind April, he froze catching a glimpse of someone but it was gone before he could even make anything out of it.  
April looked behind noticing his strange ways. "Everything ok?"

"Sure... I just... thought I've seen someone."  
"Well I have to go, I'll see you around Jeremy." she sweetly told him and left, looking back at the pretty boy before she turned the corner.

Jeremy was focused in front of him and he saw the same blur again, he paced fast as the blur vanished into an alley. Jeremy took a stake he kept under his shirt trapped in his belt and gripped it hard as he made way to the alley.  
It was empty but he had a feeling the presence could only be seen by him. "Bonny?" he asked knowing it wasn't her.

"Not as pretty but very sassy." Kol smirked behind Jeremy.  
The Gilbert turned fast and with a disturbed expression. "What do you want?"

"A shot of bourbon, a hot bath and some company. But I will take revenge if you are offering." he tilted his head amused.  
Jeremy smiled spiking him. "I would kill you again if that was an actual choice."

"Because of the entire issue of not being able to touch each other?" Kol asked serious and came closer to Jeremy, he wickedly smiled. "I'm focused enough, are you?"  
Jeremy squinted a bit lost but Kol pushed him away and Jeremy ended a few feet away with a very stunned look.

Kol picked the stake the other just dropped and waved it walking to Jeremy. "It wasn't easy learning how to actually do this but I had a few months of practice and a very big wish to end your life. It's time to click those shoes and go home Dorothy." he flashed to Jeremy with the stake in the air ready to end his life when that horrible pain made Kol scream and clutch his head.  
Jeremy searched bewildered for her; Bonnie was holding both of her hands in the air and came closer to the two men.

"Go home Jer." she told him without looking at him.  
"Bonnie..." he tried but she didn't allow him.

"Now Jer!" she shouted closing her hand to keep Kol under control.  
Reluctantly Jeremy stood up and left the alley with a small run; she kept her hold on Kol but he slowly closed his eyes and she felt that horrible pain, like little needles were sticking in her skin, that darkness crawling under her skin again and she was forced to break her hold on him.

Kol panted on the ground while she looked around for The Shadows but they weren't around.  
"How do you do that?" she asked him.

"Do what?" he cleaned the blood that was leaving his nose.  
"How do you control them?"

"Aren't you full of questions little witch..." he slowly stood up. "I'll tell you that if you tell me how you are able to take down an Original without shedding an ounce of blood."  
She smiled defying him. "I'm good at this."

Kol looked thoughtful. "You are a little more than that..." he pointed the stake at her. "And that is why he has kept us both in here."  
"What are you talking about?" she asked but he was gone already and she was spinning around alone in the alley. How she hated that man, now she was left with another round of questions.

* * *

**New Orleans **

"This is worth every penny..." Camille ended her expensive drink and smiled at Klaus. "But you have to let me pay for half the bottle."  
"Are you selling a kidney?" he easily smiled enchanting her with his charm.

Camille blushed a little taken by the strong alcohol and the extremely hot man in front of her. "I sort of need them..."  
Klaus displayed a smile that reached his dimples and had his drink quietly waiting for it; the front door gave way for the man he was waiting for.

Marcel accused the nervous tick as he saw Camille visibly drunk and his five vampires lying on the ground without their hearts; Camille had to be compelled and he pulled a chair to sit with them by the table.  
"Marcel..." she smiled sweetly and tilted her head with a really silly sound that she couldn't hold inside. "We were waiting for you."

Marcel looked at Klaus that raised his eyebrows and shrugged.  
"I was bored at home without my guests; Camille here has been very entertaining so far."

Camille took turns at the men, she sighed with her chin resting on her hand. "Dashing men at the table..."  
Klaus kept his eyes on Marcel and smiled darkly before turning to Camille. "Sweetheart, I'd like to speak to my old friend alone. Do you mind going home?"

Camille silently stood up and went behind the counter to grab her bag, she left numbly and Klaus scanned Marcel for a reaction. The vampire tried to stay calm but Klaus knew him well.  
"Lovely human, very endearing and sweet. I can only list all the things I would do to her."

Marcel clenched his jaw but kept his words tamed.  
Klaus leaned over pushing Camille's empty glass towards Marcel; he filled his glass with the rest of the bottle and then spoke as uncanny as only he knew how. "Choose wisely how you intend to bring this war to me Marcel or I will show Camille what true evil is and offer an awful lot of details to put on her thesis. And then I'll turn her and sire her to me, so that she begins to enjoy all the torture I plan to inflict on her." Klaus stood up and poured a cheap bottle of whiskey over the small carnage he made earlier, he lit a match and dropped it over them.

Then Klaus came near Marcel and rested his hand over his shoulder; he leaned over closer to his ear and whispered. "Enjoy your drink Marcel, it's on me."  
Marcel looked down on the drink and slowly had it clenching his teeth as it came down his throat and Klaus left the Pub.

* * *

Matt asked for another drink, he shook his head because the kid replacing him was a disaster; it only took him 20 minutes to acknowledge that Matt was waving for another beer.  
Finally the kid came around and handed him a cold beer but only to stay here and ignore the two drunken boys by the table loudly talking and laughing.

"Aren't you going to ask if they want some coffee to cool down?" Matt couldn't help himself and made the question.  
The kid gave him a funny look. "They haven't asked for coffee, just for beer."

Matt grumbled into his beer, the kid was awful at this. He looked back at the table where the boys started whistling as someone came inside.  
He smiled when he saw Caroline but she wasn't smiling and took his beer having a big sip from it when she reached him.

"Where have you been? Elena tried calling you because she wanted help to start dealing with Bonnie's things."  
"Tyler destroyed my phone." she said waving her beer. "And I'm not dealing with anything related to Bonnie, Caroline the perfect event organizer is shut down for business."

"What do you mean?" Matt asked taking the empty bottle as she handed it to him.  
"Bonnie is dead. There's nothing left to deal with; have Elena do the burial, I'm tired."  
"Care..." he looked baffled as she left The Grill.

Caroline reached her car ignoring the drunken kids that now followed her outside, one of them wasn't even able to make it after her; he just leaned against the first car he found.  
The other was smiling as he ran to the blonde that now looked at him inquiring.

"Need some company?" he flirted with her.  
"No thanks..." she dryly said and reached for her door but the kid grabbed her hand.

"Are you sure?" he whispered and moved her hair away from her shoulder so he could stroke it.  
Caroline looked at the hand on her shoulder and without notice smashed his head against her car.

The kid moaned and grabbed his head. "Freak..." he mumbled touching the open wound that was bleeding.  
Caroline leaned her head to the side and grabbed his hand, he cringed in pain with her strength but Caroline held his hand and touched the blood on his fingers.

He gasped scared as her eyes became red and fangs appeared, he tried fighting her but she swiftly grabbed his neck.  
"I'm not a freak, I'm a vampire." she said with a strange dark smile and launched at his neck feeding from him.

She released him before killing him and licked her lips, then she calmly opened her door and drove away turning the radio up.

* * *

**Soundtrack: **

Drew - _Goldfrap_

Something's got a hold on me_ - __Etta James_

You only disappear - _Tom McRae _


	7. Do you feel me?

**New Orleans **

He could tell the boys at the party were all human, some couldn't be more than 18 and they seemed to be having the time of their lives with the girls all dressed in black melted against them stroking places that made them happy but Klaus smiled eerily, the girls were the ones having all the control and therefore all the fun.  
The party was very loud and he dodged a few bones scattered on the ground, obviously these witches took the term dark very serious.

Klaus was really intrigued by a group sitting on the ground with their legs crossed, they were forming a circle and had their eyes closed, they chanted strange words and when they all opened their eyes, he saw nothing but white eyes and a blue fire started in the middle of the circle. The fire was held above the ground and grew bigger as the chanting increased, he forced himself to leave the strange group behind because he was here for another reason.

Klaus reached the stairs of the big manor and looked behind to the huge property where her witches were having a wild party filled with dancing, black magic and alcohol. As he made way inside he expected more of the same but found the house strangely empty.  
A girl wearing all black like all the others outside stood up from the couch and smiled at Klaus. "Are you looking for Leah?"

Klaus nodded and glanced towards the couch where he caught a Samurai sword that the girl was cleaning. He followed her down the hall; wondering what he was going to find next but the noises he caught as they walked down the hall left him no doubt about what was happening behind doors and he smiled because it was refreshing to find a group of strong women that weren't apologetic about their needs.  
The tall girl knocked on the door and smiled at Klaus, she held back a smirk when a series of loud noises echoed through the hall from one of the other rooms.

"Perhaps a spell to isolate the noise…" Klaus whispered amused.  
The girl laughed. "I need to tell them that."

The door behind her opened and Leah covered herself with a buttoned up tight shirt that she pulled closer to her body. "What?" she asked visibly upset to be interrupted.  
"Should I have scheduled a meeting?" Klaus asked tilting his head to see the witch better.

She sighed resting a hand on the door, the shirt went open and Klaus caught traces of a tattoo on the girl's body, he could swear she had a dragon and that it went all the way to her back. "Give me a minute Klaus." she said and looked at the other girl that she sent away. "Thanks Kim."

The tall girl smiled and left, Klaus made an educated guess that the girl with oriental traces had a connection to the Japanese mafia and a few loose pieces started to make sense to him.  
Leah left the door and a few seconds later another really attractive girl came out, she had short blonde hair and green eyes and she walked down the hall fixing her short dress, Klaus looked back at the door where Leah was, she moved her hand to invite him inside.

Klaus came inside a big bedroom with nothing but a closet and a big bed, he looked at the girl closing up her shirt and Jeans, she sat on the messy bed getting her black boots. "Is this a problem Klaus?" she asked without looking at him.  
"No." he easily answered, whatever floated her boat wasn't none of his business. "Marcel came to me with some strange notion that I had been slaughtering his army, you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"His vampires came looking for me, it's not my fault that they were all wearing daylight rings that strangely stopped working." she stood up grabbing her leather jacket. "I would have sent you pictures of the firework but apparently you have been busy yourself."  
"This is a wonderful partnership that works because we work apart or regardless of it? I'm not sure exactly which."

Leah fixed her tight leather jacket and smiled at the hybrid. "We don't trust each other which is fine by me because I don't really like you. But I'm not here to make friends Klaus, I'm here to kill Marcel."  
Klaus flew across the room so fast that she was fighting for air before she could blink; he held her against the wall and placed his hand next to her face with a deep sigh while he gripped her neck strongly with his other hand. "The arrogant attitude is not wining you any points and I'm still not persuaded that you are not a problem instead of an ally that I'm not sure I need." he spoke looking at the wall instead of her.

Leah knew her life was inches away from being taken so she wasn't left with much of a choice. "I need to show you something." she managed to say in a hoarse voice.  
Klaus pulled away from the wall but kept his hold on her. "See it as your one big last chance to impress me."

She rubbed her throat when he released her. "I know that you are a very hard man to impress."  
Klaus smiled. "I'd start picking the color of your coffin, if I were you Selene."

* * *

Rebekah went by his room; she did her best to ignore the closed-door like she managed before she left town but half way down the staircase Rebekah knew it was time to deal with his loss. She turned around and went up the stairs in a hurry, strutting her way to his door that she opened with determination. The thick air hit her, the room had been closed for months and she had to open a window to ease up things a bit.

Rebekah took a slow look around the room; everything was exactly as he left it. The brown coat was resting on the unmade bed, there were a few shirts lying around and she skimmed through everything with a tamed pain.  
It was a gift that they were able to shut their emotions out and that the throbbing pain of losing a brother was neatly buried in a place that wasn't easy to reach but now that she was in his room and Kol's things were just lying around the horrible reality of it all hit Rebekah hard.

He wasn't coming back.  
He wasn't away in one of his adventures and she wasn't going to see him in a couple of centuries, nor was he stuffed inside a coffin. He was dead and he wasn't going to use his wit to make her snap and want to kick him until he bled.

Rebekah felt the warmth of tears that she should have shed for his death; his hazel eyes, always so defying and reckless danced in her memory and Rebekah knew she was crying when she went through the pile of books that he left on the desk.  
She half expected to find one or two Harry Potter books because of his love for witchcraft and strange sense of humor but the findings still made her smile. He had the first edition of the Grimm's _Kinder-und Hausmarchen; _the German book known as the _Children's and Household Tales _was only a reminder that Kol was still a teenager stuck in an immortal body and the wave of guilt that came over her was almost unbearable.

Strip away the relentless search for the cure, the endless need to be human and she was left with the harsh truth of it all. Rebekah clutched the book against her chest and looked around the empty room, Kol was dead and none of them had done a thing to prevent it, blinded by all the things that should have never mattered more than their family.  
Rebekah left the room and closed the door behind her but took the pain with her this time.

Kol remained where he had been, leaning against the window, he watched his sister quietly leave in tears, and this time he actually felt the pain over his loss and it brought a small smile to his lips that she decided to take his favorite book with her.  
"That was so touching…"

Kol lost the smile and looked at the woman sitting on his bed; Bonnie smiled hugely at him and waved her hand in the air in circles. "Though I expected your taste in literature to be more refined."  
"The entire collection of Stephan King in your room took me by surprise, I admit." he smirked.

"I shouldn't be so stunned that you went snooping around my room… like the good creep that you are."  
"Nice underwear, I sort of took you for the safe type but it's always the quiet ones…" he lingered his eyes on her petite body.

Bonnie scolded him with her green eyes but unexpectedly gave him a smile. "You have no idea Kol…" she added a flirtatious look.  
Kol frowned very suspicious of the sly look he was getting from her. "What are you doing?"

"I've been dead for a few months… it's very lonely on this side as you said."  
"Haven't you tried to have a little ghost on human sex with your hunter?"

Bonnie lazily lowered her eyes taking in every inch of his hot body. "What happens on this side stays on this side."  
"What are you fishing for?" Kol left the wall on edge with the sexy woman blatantly flirting with him.

"Why don't you come and find out…" she smiled vanishing from his room.  
Kol pulled his eyebrows together, why did she say that? Now he _had _to find out what she was up to.

* * *

Rebekah took a deep breath and shook her long straight hair, she could do this. With sheer determination she walked over to the bar where Matt was having a drink. "Matt, have you seen Caroline? I can't seem to find her anywhere and I have her dog." she said without looking at him.  
"I haven't seen her today…" he dropped his beer and looked at the woman clearly avoiding him and stroking the little dog that she carried inside her bag. "Bekah…"

She shook her head still without looking at him. "Don't Matt."  
"Maybe we should talk…"

She smiled poking Klausy's black nose. "I'm a very old vampire Matt, spare me the sappy speech, I made you an offer and you stated your conditions perfectly. I wasn't expecting a change of heart once we returned home. What happened during the summer was nice but I was counting on the early winter." she looked at him with big blue eyes that had been crying today for her brother. "We will always have Prague."  
Matt smiled instantly making her heart ache. "Prague was awesome."

She easily crumbled into a smile. "You have some really nice moves Donovan."  
"You are going to make me blush now." he grabbed his beer again.

"Well I need to find the crazy blonde before I get too attached to her dog and decide to keep him for myself." Klausy barked from inside the bag and she stroked him between the eyes a little more.  
Matt looked at her when she stood up but he didn't go after her, he grabbed his cell and called someone else that had been on his mind today.

* * *

Elena looked at her cell, she felt bad for not taking his call but she was concerned with Damon, he was acting very strange. She turned her cell off and left it on the couch going over to the fireplace where Damon was having an intense conversation with the fire. "You have been staring at those flames for hours Damon."  
He turned his head to her and smiled. "How's the thoughtful look working out for me?"

Elena's smile was sweet and big. "It's very intense and I'm attracted to it."  
"You could have taken Matt's call." he easily said and watched as the perfect smile vanished from her lips.

"He probably was just calling to know about the preparations for Bonnie's funeral."  
"Hence why you shouldn't have dismissed his call." Damon said with a hint of a smile and disdain.

"I love you." she said, almost too quickly.  
Damon watched her with a wisdom that was so beyond her young age and she was even taken a bit by it. "He is very important to you, let's not downplay things Elena. I've been here from the start; I know that he is the key to your humanity."

She leaned over and took his face into her hands, stroking his cheeks and smiling with love at him. "He is just a friend."  
Damon smiled and answered her kiss, they broke apart when the front door closed and a smiling blonde man stood there watching them.

"Stefan." Elena said with such a happy voice that it took Damon off guard, although it shouldn't.  
"You are back." she quickly went to him and hugged him.  
Stefan hugged her back and looked over her shoulder to Damon, his smile came off dark and Damon raised his glass to his brother.

"Awesome!" he bitterly said and ended his drink.

* * *

**New Orleans **

Klaus stepped out of the car looking at a house that was burnt to the ground, not much survived the fire and he looked at Leah questioning her silently.  
The witch was obviously shaken which surprised him because she wasn't as tough as she always conveyed around him. Her eyes showed a pain that he knew was impossible to fabricate and because she didn't dare to move any further than the side of his car Klaus could also tell that this place was special for her.

"Where are we?" he asked wanting to be direct, to not let her emotions now so at his reach to mess with his threat perfectly valid until she changed his mind.  
"I was born in France but my parents moved to New Orleans when I was just a little girl. My father was a healer, he had the strange gift of taking pain away by just touching people but he wasn't that well received in the fancy neighborhood we lived so when he heard about this city in America that represented a safe haven for everyone dealing with the supernatural he didn't think twice and we all moved here." Leah looked away from Klaus. "My father, my mother, my twin sister Elise and I."

After a moment to gather herself Leah carried on. "Elise was in love with all the supernatural side of New Orleans while I was more interested in everything else the city had to offer. I didn't want anything to do with the natural witch abilities we both had, while I focused on being human and staying away from witchcraft, Elise explored it and became obsessed with it. She started going to all of these crazy parties…" Leah stopped again.  
"Where she met Marcel." Klaus said.

Leah nodded and looked at him. "They hit it off really hard, they became an item over night and I barely saw my sister after she started seeing Marcel, she spent most of her nights with him and eventually moved out of the house. I went to one of those parties because I wanted to see her, I missed her so much but the girl I found was so different from the one I grew up with. She was so into everything Marcel was selling her; the power, the insane idea that they could both make New Orleans crumble to their feet… I tried talking to her but she was beyond help. She was making spells for Marcel, daylight rings, protection marks and everything he asked of her."  
"What happened in here?" Klaus asked not as coldly as before.

"The witches in town were not happy with my sister granting Marcel that much power and they pulled the turf card, they had been here before Marcel arrived and they were not going to be pushed away like he did with the werewolves so they threatened Elise. But neither of them cared, they saw themselves as invincible as the vampires flocked to Marcel's side knowing that with him they would be able to feed freely and as they pleased without being hunted down. So the witches took Elise's powers away, but it still didn't stop them. Marcel had what he wanted, an army sired to him so he turned my sister as a token of his eternal love for her." Leah's tears began to fall down her cheeks but she quickly cleaned them. "The witches were furious, not only was she betraying them by helping him, she was now publicly taking his side. They decided to send her a message. On the night Elise transitioned she came to tell my parents about her choice and the witches followed her. I only remember Elise carrying me outside and going back for my parents but she never came out again, neither of them did."

Leah faced Klaus with a wall of pain but also hatred. "After that night Marcel went on a rampage and killed half the witches in town, witchcraft was forbidden after that day and I left. I embraced the witch in me and I went to every corner I could think of to learn all I could about my art. And I sold my soul to every single demon I could find and then I waited, patiently sowing my revenge until I heard about you and I knew this was my chance. Do you want to know which color is my coffin Klaus? It's black like my heart and I will not rest until I avenge the death of my family, until I kill Marcel the _King_."

* * *

"Have you seen Caroline?" Rebekah asked Damon coming inside his house like she lived there.  
Damon looked away from the mantel to her. "No and knocking before invading is always nice." he scolded her.

Rebekah gave him a look. "What's with the Stefan look?"  
He didn't understand what she meant and looked at her a bit lost.

"Brooding and watching logs of wood burn, walking away when your girlfriend is openly flirting with her ex…" she opened her arms. "What's with the entire Stefan vibe?"  
Damon stared down on his beverage. "I'm trying to be a good boyfriend." he said confused about his actions as well.

"You are not Stefan. You will never be Stefan and if she's with you expecting that you become Stefan… then you two are far more messed up than I suspected."  
Damon looked at her, she was right but yet he couldn't find the right words to explain his behavior. It was like he couldn't feel jealousy or anger. "Stefan is back." he simply said and looked at the fire again.

Rebekah looked at him baffled; something was off, with everyone. She cringed when Elena came into the room with a smile she wanted to slap out of her face.  
"Stefan went to speak to Bonnie's father. He was so sad when I told him what happened…" she sat on the couch with a sad sigh. "I still can't believe she's dead."

"Have you seen the other end of the trio? I'm looking for Caroline." Rebekah asked ready to give up in case she received another no.  
But the blonde just waltz inside the house and gave Rebekah a look. "You were looking for me?"

"Yes…" Rebekah staggered looking at the others.  
Elena slowly stood up from the couch, Caroline had her clothes smeared with blood and went straight to Damon's stash picking a bottle and opening it, she poured Scotch into a big glass and sat on the couch enjoying her drink.

"What happened to you Caroline?" Elena asked in a low voice.  
The blonde had her drink with a shrug. "What do you mean?"

"You have blood on your shirt."  
Caroline looked down on herself and threw one hand in the air upset. "That last guy was such a nag, he kept fighting me." she huffed and rested the glass on the table removing her tight white top carelessly dropping it on the ground and sitting back on the couch returning to her drink.

Elena's jaw dropped staring at her friend wearing only a steamy bra; she quickly looked at Damon that seemed as surprised as she was.  
"Don't worry, Damon has seen us all naked, we are all one happy family." Caroline sneered.

"Well that's definitely new." Rebekah whispered a bit amused.

* * *

Kol easily found Bonnie by the well, she was still smiling in that odd way at him. "We had a bed back at my room." he said scanning the woods surrounding them carefully.  
She shrugged. "No one can see us."

Now he was really suspicious and squinted. "What are you up to little witch?"  
She wickedly said a few words in Latin and before he could react, he was surrounded by fire. When the flames went out he was trapped inside a circle of ashes, he tilted his head angrily at her.

She lost the smile and the flirt, she pointed at the ground. "That should keep you trapped for a while."  
He didn't bother trying to leave; he knew she just locked him with magic inside the circle.

Bonnie came closer to the circle looking at him coldly. "I have a lot of questions so you better start talking."  
"Or I just stay quiet until you get bored and go away."

Bonnie focused and Kol was instantly in pain, she brought him to his knees without much effort. "Or I torture the hell out of you for answers." she hissed before sending another wave of pain to him.

* * *

Caroline looked up at Elena with a really annoyed face. "I'm not wearing that."  
Elena dropped one of her shirts on Caroline's lap. "Please put some clothes on."

"I hate all your clothes; it looks like you raided my mother's closet. Probably why you feel the need to steal other people's flawless sense of fashion." Caroline poured another drink.  
"Have you switched off your humanity?" Damon asked her slowly.

"No." Caroline gave him a look. "Smarts and looks don't mix huh? I haven't killed anyone; there was no over dramatic sobbing on the floor and all of that, _Switch it off Caroline._" she mimicked his deep voice. "I just fed off some guys but I didn't kill them."  
Elena was appalled and closed her eyes stroking her forehead.

Rebekah sat next to Caroline and took Klausy from inside her bag, she handed the blonde the dog that was really excited to see Caroline; she buried herself into the drink and barely played with him so Klausy began to chew on some pillow.  
"Stefan is back by the way…" Elena remembered and looked at Caroline again.

"Are you switching beds again?" Caroline couldn't help herself and the words just left her mouth.  
"I've made my choice Caroline. I know what I want." Elena snapped upset with the other one.

"That's a breakthrough…" Caroline mumbled into her Scotch but slowly looked at the little white dog that looked at her with big puppy eyes and barked once hoping she would pick him up.  
Caroline was conflicted but smiled and picked the Maltese, he immediately began to lick her face and she closed her eyes liking the way he soothed her.

"Can you compel her to… switch it back up? She obviously has lost it." Damon asked Rebekah.  
The Original leaned back on the couch crossing her arms. "Why? I think she's improved this way."

"I don't know why I fed from those kids… I didn't feel anything when I was doing it…" Caroline mumbled while stroking the dog's fur.  
Everyone looked at her silently but somehow connecting, Rebekah narrowed her eyes at the group. "What happened during the summer?"

"Nothing… I spent my summer with Damon." Elena looked at him.  
"Not caring about anyone or anything…" he said thoughtful.

"No one cares anymore…" Caroline said in a gloomy way.  
"What do you mean?" Rebekah moved in the couch.

"They spent all summer having sex, she didn't even care about her brother that was back from the dead. And then there is Bonnie's father that didn't bother looking for his daughter, no one did." Caroline said sad.  
"But you did." Damon came near the couch. "So why the change now?"

Caroline shrugged. "I stopped caring, Bonnie is dead. Tyler came back but attacked me over Klaus and he didn't mind that I was grieving over Bonnie…"  
"Over Klaus?" Elena asked leaning her head to the side.

Caroline licked her lips. "I sort of spent the summer talking to Klaus." she murmured the confession.  
Elena closed her eyes again and turned her back on Caroline digesting the shock.

"Has everyone gone nuts around here? What's wrong with this town?" Damon opened his arms.  
"Matt changed as well once we got back here…" Rebekah looked at Damon.

"It's like we all lost our ability to feel or worry about others. Everyone's personality sort of changed..." Elena said.  
"Now that you mention it… everyone has been sort of detached. With a few exceptions." Caroline could only remember April that had spent the summer following her around or Jeremy.

"It's Silas. It has to be." Rebekah quickly grabbed her cell writing a text message. "Mystic Falls must be under some strange spell or under his control."  
"But Bonnie defeated him and Stefan threw his body into the river." Elena reminded everyone.

"Where's Stefan?" Caroline picked the dull shirt up from the ground.  
"At Bonnie's." she said and came near the other two blondes. "I'll go with you."

"No offense but I rather take the mean version of Caroline with me. Now that you've went back to your wonderful uninteresting personality, altered or not, I have the constant urge to rip your tongue out." Rebekah smiled putting her cell away.  
Caroline smiled at the brunette and handed her the little puppy. "You should stay here in case we miss Stefan and he comes back home. Take care of Klausy for me, I think he was the one thing keeping my wonderful filter up."

Elena took the puppy looking at Damon.  
"If the entire town is slowly going crazy and being deprived of feelings should we be happy that we still like each other?" he asked with a silly shrug.

Elena smiled shaking her head. "You spent the entire summer taking me away on romantic getaways Damon."  
He smiled smugly. "I've never been so happy for all the sex induced trips we made."

She didn't bother answering Damon and his silly mind.

* * *

**New Orleans **

"The baby is healthy… do you want to know if it's a boy or a girl?" The doctor sweetly asked Hayley.  
She shook her head refusing to look at the little monitor; instead she looked at Elijah that was mesmerized looking at the little life before his eyes, the heart beating so strongly and powerfully.

The lady doctor pulled Hayley's shirt down and tapped her hand. "The baby is fine but I need the mother healthy as well, so I'm prescribing some vitamins and I want to see you in one month exactly. It took you long enough to go see a doctor Hayley." She gently scolded the young girl and the man that she could only assume was the father, though it bothered her a bit that he was visibly much older than the girl but she had seen it all by now so she wrote down the vitamins and some supplements and ripped the page handing it to Elijah. "Two of these everyday and you can make the next appointment outside at the front desk."

"Thank you Doctor Crawford." Elijah politely bowed his head while Hayley got ready to leave.  
The doctor left giving them some privacy and Elijah handed her the prescription, she smiled and gracefully took it from his hand then she shred it into tiny pieces and grabbed her bag. "At least now I know that I'm not carrying a little monster with horns and a little tale."

"How do you know? You haven't seen him." Elijah confronted her serious.  
Hayley rolled her eyes and turned around picking the two small sonograms that the doctor left for her, she softened up on her hard features and looked emotional watching her baby for the first time, it made Elijah smile and he came near Hayley.

He took her shoulders gently and spoke calmly. "You are going to be a mother, it's a gift Hayley."  
She nodded a bit and looked up at him with glistening eyes. "A gift that Klaus wants to kill."

"My brother is not going to harm you or this child. I'm committed to protect you both. I will start by getting you another prescription." he gently nudged her chin with his finger and left to compel the doctor.  
Hayley instantly lost the fake emotion and stared at the pictures unable to connect. She dropped the sonograms on the garbage before she left the office.

* * *

"It's not Klausy keeping you afloat by the way." Rebekah told Caroline as they made way to the front door.  
Caroline rather not have this conversation but Rebekah wasn't leaving her much choice. "I think that those who were focused on something else rather than the town's life, were somewhat protected against Silas." she stopped half way up the stairs. "When Silas got inside your brother's mind and made him believe that he was dying, Klaus only snapped out of it when we fought, he said that I distracted him and so he was able to fight Silas' hold on his mind. If the same applies to town…"

Rebekah released a very soft laughter. "Adorable Caroline but that's not what I was talking about. Talking to my brother during the summer kept your mind off Silas' little game. I'm just wondering why it's not working anymore."  
"It wasn't working completely because I did snap against Elena and her relationship with Damon before yesterday."

The Original turned to look at Caroline that stopped at the front door. "What happened yesterday?"  
Caroline looked down on the floor for a second. "I went to New Orleans to confront him about Hayley."

"Fishy eyes? You went all the way to New Orleans to see my brother because of his sex episode?" Rebekah gave Caroline a crazy look.  
The other faced her with dismay. "She's pregnant with his baby."

"So…" Rebekah looked truly puzzled.  
Caroline opened her arms and shook her head with an open mouth. "So that she's giving him a baby. He's going to be a daddy and she's going to have his name."

"No she is not." Rebekah said slowly. "Nik couldn't bother less with fishy eyes and what she's carrying in her womb. Elijah may be delusional enough to believe that this child will evoke any emotion in Nik but he wasn't there when Nik sat on our couch drawing your face for days only to burn the entire pad in a melodramatic act because you betrayed him. And he wasn't there for the year I spent enduring the _I hate you, I'm going to murder you, I'm saving your life _Caroline and Nik epic chronicles. I swear that my brother Kol was the smart one, he would have killed fishy eyes by now and end all this baby nonsense." Rebekah snapped and knocked on the door powerfully.

Caroline held back the silly smile that she wanted out. "Not that I care with who Klaus sleeps or anything…" she whispered next to Rebekah.  
"Of course not." Rebekah looked at Caroline and both girls shared an easy rare moment that had them both smiling.

They expected Bonnie's father when the door went open but Stefan showed up instead. He smiled and swiftly snapped Rebekah's neck; he stepped outside looking at Caroline that recognized the dark in him immediately.

"Silas?"  
"We should stop meeting like this Caroline." he smiled coming closer to her.

* * *

**New Orleans **

Elijah removed his jacket tired; the girl was seriously messing with his sanity and patience. He was on the way to fix a drink when he sensed the other presence. He could barely believe his eyes when he saw her sitting there on the couch of his house.

"I like the new place. But I don't like the new girl in your life." she said twirling the Scotch inside her glass. "What is it with you and the girls that your brother wants dead Elijah? Is this a twisted way to search for your own redemption for stealing Tatia away from Klaus and shredding his fragile little human heart when the poor guy had nothing going on for him except the humiliation of being a bastard son?" she gasped covering her mouth. "Oops, I'm sharing pillow talk…" she smiled at him.

"What are you doing here Katerina?" Elijah asked without a shred of sympathy.  
She waited until his guest came inside the house throwing her bag on the ground but stopping nervously when she saw Katherine.

The sexy brunette smiled at her. "Hello _hellhound_, I missed your calls. I suppose that you are busy now nurturing a baby, trying to get into Elijah's bed, you know, typical _you _stuff."  
Hayley went pale and slowly looked at Elijah.

* * *

"Hey Bekah…" Matt tapped her cheek to wake her.  
Rebekah moaned groggy. "Stefan… he…" she licked her lips sitting up.

Matt was kneeling next to her and looked concerned. "What happened?"  
Rebekah looked around the empty porch. "Where's Caroline?"

"Are you still looking for her?"  
"No, she was right here with me before Stefan knocked me out." she quickly got up. "We need to find her."

* * *

April finally got the last boxes inside, she was tired but everything would be ready for the weekend, it was her first time organizing a Book Fair and she had a lot to prove to Caroline.  
There was a noise and she looked at the door of the Gym. "Hello?"

She was fairly sure that she was alone in school, probably it was the wind or something and she shook her head smiling with the strange horror movie vibe. She piled the boxes ready to go home; she was almost by the door when she heard that noise again, like someone hitting metal.  
Instead of going outside like a person with common sense, she went in the direction of the noise.

"Caroline?" she asked slowly as she reached the hall where all lockers were, the blonde was closing one whose door she just destroyed.  
"They changed my code number." Caroline said in a strange way.

"They will be giving your locker to someone else… actually I asked to have your old locker…" April gulped down because Caroline was looking at her in a really uncanny way.  
"Sorry about the door." she said and walked to April, the locker door fell to the ground behind her making April jump.

"It's ok… are you … feeling well?"  
Caroline threw her hand in the air. "Except for the really ugly shirt I'm fine… but I'm a little hungry." she ran her tongue over teeth and her fangs came down.

April clutched her bag. "Caroline… please don't hurt me."  
The blonde smiled darkly. "I like it better when they put up a fight…" she whispered and flung herself at April. She didn't bite her but she ran her nose over the girl's neck smelling her. "Why are you not affected by Silas?"

"What?" April stumbled out really scared.  
"Silas sent me." Caroline said and tilted the girl's head to the side. "You showed up out of nowhere and you just keep popping up in every sticky situation that involves one of us. Why is that?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about…" April said close to tears.  
"If I kill you, I'll probably solve his problem." Caroline said smiling and sank her fangs into the girl's neck; April screamed but she drank fast and felt the girl grow weaker.

Caroline knew she was killing her but she couldn't stop, that nagging feeling that she shouldn't be doing this was overpowered by the order Silas gave her.  
Seek and destroy; he sent her to deal with April and that was exactly what she was doing but it was wrong, and yet she couldn't stop.

April whimpered losing consciousness and inches away from dying, Caroline fought her instincts but they were winning until something very hard hit her and she ended on the ground with someone holding her down.  
She blinked and gasped with the intense blue eyes looking down on her.

"_I don't know if this is some new way of flirting, but it sucks._" Klaus toyed with the words she once told him. "There are far better ways to get my attention sweetheart." he smiled showing his dimples.

* * *

**Soundtrack: **

Give it all - _Don Diablo feat. Alex Clare & Kelis_

Afraid -_ The Neighbourhood_

Paint it black -_ The Rolling Stones_


	8. Behind the curtain

**New Orleans**

"Can I go to the window?" the young girl with dark hair and sweet features asked the vampire again.  
He simply kept his eyes on the silly game he was playing on his cell.

She came down from the ancient looking bed and walked around the attic. She stopped in front of the vampire watching over her today and smiled as sweetly as her 16 years should be able to bring out of her. "Please let me go to the window."  
He raised his eyes slowly to her. "Davina, you know that you can't go outside or to the window…" he said in a low voice trying not to make her angry.

"Please?" she asked with her hands behind her white long gown and smiled again.  
"Marcel doesn't allow it…" the vampire gulped down.

Davina lost her smile. "Let me out."  
"Go back to your dolls." The vampire tried to put some fear into the girl by showing his fangs.

Davina simply narrowed her eyes and the vampire was invisibly dragged across the room and then thrown outside shattering the window, she closed her eyes setting him on fire and then sat on the ground enjoying the sunny day outside warming her bare feet and played with her favorite doll, she knew Marcel was sending a new vampire soon.

* * *

"I'm so sorry April…" Caroline said again.  
April pressed her wound with a small groggy smile. "I think that it's ok…" she said before losing balance and staggering, Caroline was about to reach for her but Matt caught her on time.

"I got her." he smiled at the pretty girl and she made this silly swoon sound when he laced her arm around his neck to support her. "I will take her home." he assured Caroline.  
The blonde uneasily smiled. "Thanks…" she half mumbled ashamed with her violent attack on the human.

Donovan glanced over behind her. "Will you be ok?"  
Caroline nodded looking at Klaus staring inside her destroyed locker with crossed arms and a heavy expression; she walked over to him feeling exactly two things. Gratitude that he stopped her from killing April and an unexplained love for the tight black cotton shirt that he was wearing today, she particularly loved the white thin line that went down his shoulder and for the first time Caroline acknowledged how big his arms actually were, she quickly scanned his face trying to disguise the wonder that momentarily took over her.

"I'm taking for granted that this was your locker and that you came to retrieve something very important?"  
"My humanity, have you seen it? I seem to have misplaced it for a few hours." Caroline slumped against the locker next to him.

He smirked following her with his eyes. "I've misplaced mine for centuries now, I'm not sure where I left it but it was last seen on some woods perishing under the hands of my father." he was smiling but there was not an ounce of elation in him, at all.  
Caroline looked down on her boots not sure where she was getting the bravery from. "It's closer than you think…"

"Don't let the hero rescue fool you…" his voice came out low and she could guess the smile that she found when she raised her eyes to him.  
"I had it under complete control." She said with a lazy smile.

"I was particularly taken by the time you were taking with her."  
"I was surprised that you didn't let me finish her, I expected you not to care if I did."

"You would care." he simply said.  
"I bet you got all excited when you saw me doing that." she tried to guess how accurate she was by keeping her eyes on his face.

Klaus couldn't take his away from her, he was carefully examining every micro-expression in her breathtaking features, all was cautiously kept in his mind and the fact that she believed that he would like her more this way made him chuckle softly, though she looked at him with resent that he was doing so, he carried on with a smile. "Go out of your way sweetheart and don't just kill the dull human, kill a hundred, a thousand of them. Have fun with them, compel, play with your abilities, until you become comfortable with them." his smile slowly faded and then he dangerously moved becoming closer to her. "Find your true skin Caroline and after you have done it all and experienced everything that exists out of the confinement of this small town, decide what you really want in life and see who is left waiting for you to come full circle."

Caroline's tongue swept her bottom lip slowly wetting it and she surprised him with a bitter smile. "Will that be you, Hayley and Klaus Junior?"  
He was a hard man to read but she saw disappointment in his features, she just wasn't sure if it was for her words or the actions that led to them. His silence was like a giant reminder that there was so much more than just Hayley between them now.

Caroline turned around to leave but he gripped her arm which made her face him angrily. "Why are you here?"  
"Rebekah sent me a message, something about Silas…" he answered wishing he was colder in his voice but she always had a way to make him falter.

Caroline pulled her arm trying to break free from him but he wasn't letting her go, mostly because that meant he was touching her.  
It only took him a second to regain control and Klaus opened his hand but closed his heart. "I'm here because my sister sent for me love."

Caroline touched her arm watching him walk down the hall; her arm was burning where his fingers had been.

* * *

Kol rolled over a bit to spit the blood that gathered in his mouth, he went back to rest on his back and began to laugh, a cool sinister laugh that made her shiver and stroke her arms. "This is fun… I didn't have this much fun since Nik caught me in Croatia and stabbed me in the heart." he sighed facing the sky.  
"What do you know about Silas?" Bonnie asked again but her voice accused just how tired she was.

Kol rested his hand over his chest with a sneer. "That he is not as good-looking as I am."  
Bonnie pressed her lips together and focused sending another wave of pain to him, Kol contorted on the ground but she wasn't able to hold her magic for long and roughly sat down on the ground.

"We need a safe word darling…" he said slowly sitting up, watching her clean up the blood that was coming out of her nose. "… playtime is getting strenuous."  
"Where are we?" she asked with a very tired inhale.

"Finally a good question." he on the other hand seemed to regain his strength fast.  
There was a slow dizzy fit and Bonnie closed her eyes for a second. "What is this place?"

"Limbo?" he asked amused; when she pulled her eyebrows together he casually laced his arms around his knees. "Somewhere between hell and heaven, serving as abode for us dead love birds." his smile grew.  
"Something like purgatory?" she asked holding her head because it was throbbing in pain.

"Well if it is, I expect my 75 virgins once I get to heaven."  
Bonnie smiled with her eyes closed. "The older they are, the biggest the cliché."

"What would you ask for?"  
The question was unexpected and Bonnie opened her eyes hesitating at first. "Not a bunch of virgins…"

There was nothing but a naughty vibe as he lifted an eyebrow. "The wicked witch of the South wants a little more action than the one she got while she was alive."  
Bonnie stopped him at once. "What else do you know?"

"Plenty, enough to teach 75 virgins, do you want to be one of them?"  
"You are such a sleazy gross and disgusting man."

He laughed, he actually started laughing and she was nothing but fuming as she watched him. She tried shutting him up by using her powers on him again but she barely managed to gather enough power to tickle him, which made him malevolent open up to a smile. "We both descend from very powerful witches. My mother was able to forge an entire new species and yours was able to invent a spell to put my father away, one that you being the little prodigy that you are, used on my brother."

Bonnie was very lost but her head wanted to explode on her and she tried standing up to leave, as soon as she managed to get up, she staggered very nauseated and fell to her knees. She glanced over to Kol and he wasn't smiling, instead he was very serious and she was suspicious because of the way he was staring at her. "What…" she whispered.

Again he was sinister in his smile and he stood up slowly, he moved his hand with grace, his palm sent such an energy rush to her that Bonnie was hit with an invisible blast and shoved a few feet away from where she was.  
Bonnie panted confused and searched for him but he simply took a step outside the circle she created. She was terrified of something she couldn't understand.

Kol stopped near her and looked down on her powerfully. "This was fun, far better than spending my day alone and I had a chance to push you to your limits. I must say that I was impressed with how much you have in you."  
Bonnie just shook her head searching for answers.

"This place…" he looked around the dark woods. "Is Silas playground, in here everything is enhanced, just like power and apparently something in this dimension triggered something else in me." he crouched so he could look at her in the eyes.  
"Something human…" she whispered in fear.

"I always said I was special." he opened his arms appalled that no one ever believed him.  
"What about The Shadows?" she looked down assembling her thoughts.

"You saw what I wanted you to see. Another thing that I quickly learned in here."  
Bonnie looked at him fearing what he would do now, he looked sweet when he smiled and touched her forehead. She instantly fell to the ground unconscious and he lost the smile.

* * *

Klaus closed the front door harshly and went straight to the bottle, quickly choosing the strongest beverage he had on sight, he looked back as Rebekah came down the stairs and into the room holding a little puppy, he restrained from commenting on that specific detail and simply filled his glass. "You called?" he asked mockingly.  
Rebekah left Klausy on the couch so he could entertain himself with the pillows there and looked at her brother. "Aren't you going to ask how I am? We haven't spoken to each other in months."

"Your own doings Rebekah, all of a sudden you decided that we weren't related." he smiled at her.  
"Because you snapped my neck and said that I was nothing to you." she threw mad at him.

"In all honesty I'm only half linked to all of you." he resentfully said.  
Rebekah clutched her lips together furious and grabbed a statue that she fiercely threw at him, Klaus dodged it scolding her as it crashed against the wall.

"You bloody prick." She threw another one barely missing his head this time. "I hate you. Why are you so loathsome and mean?" she kept yelling at him and grabbed an antique knife from his collection waving it in the air. "Why is it so hard to accept that we have never treated you any differently, that blood meant nothing to us?"  
"Because your other older brother is now trying to shame me into accepting that bloodlines should matter the most." he angrily spat out.

Rebekah sealed her lips again and swiftly flashed burying the knife in his chest. "Elijah needs to get a head scan, there's obviously some tainted blood eating away his brain." She huffed and went for a drink.  
Klaus pulled the knife out of his chest lifting his eyes to look at her with a raging scowl.

"It's just a little blood Nik, be a man about it." she smiled into her drink.  
Klaus looked down on his ruined shirt and waved the bloodied knife. "I've missed you too. How was your summer little sister?"

Rebekah smiled sweetly. "Marvelous, I've spent it having extraordinary sex with a human, yours?"  
Klaus dropped the knife on the table. "I've spent mine wishing I could compel myself to forget I ever had sex with one."

"At least mine was good-looking." she teased him. "And hot… and with incredible stamina for a human." she carried on knowing she was making him nauseated with all the details of her sex life.  
"I have a pack waiting for me Rebekah, is there anything you wish to tell me before I end this drink and leave Mystic Falls?" he had his drink in one take.

She lost the smile and came near Klaus; the blonde rested her hand over his chest. "I've missed you Nik. Even when I want to kill you, I still love you the most out of them all."  
Unpredictably he rested his hand over hers. "There is a room with your name in New Orleans and many expensive sculptures for you to destroy."

Rebekah laughed with that undeniable certainty in her life, no matter what turn her life took, it would always be deeply entwined with Klaus'. As expected he released her hand desperately trying to shrug the rare occasional moment of affection and she didn't stop him.  
Klaus refilled his drink while she took something that was resting on top of the mantel and handed it to him as he turned searching for her; he recognized it immediately and slowly took the old book opening it with a grim.

"We need to put Kol to rest. None of us dealt with his death and nothing was done but we need to at least give me a grave."  
Klaus closed the book with a slow movement. "No."

Rebekah tried to not lose it completely but it was hard. "Nik, I know that you don't care about much and that you may see this as silly human trivialities but he is… was our brother." she painfully corrected herself.  
"I'm not giving Kol a grave Rebekah, I'm bringing him back."

Rebekah's jaw fell in shock because she knew Klaus well and she saw how serious he was about it.  
"How are you planning to do that?"

Both siblings looked at the source of the question finding Caroline there with a baffled expression.

* * *

**New Orleans**

"Elijah, I can explain…" Hayley tried a little damage control that Katherine scorned from the couch. Hayley looked back at the former vampire. "Why are you here now?"  
Katherine swallowed the rest of the Scotch in her glass and kept a piece of ice between her teeth, she started chewing on it with a heavy glare. "We had a deal _hellhound_, one that I made with you as well." she looked at Elijah. "I gave you both the news before it took everyone by storm and this is how you pay me back?" she stood up and opened her arms. "No one calls me anymore to inform how things are going and my blood stash is ending."

Elijah shook his head. "I'm not giving you any more blood Katerina."  
"Yes you are. Or I take my pretty little mouth to Klaus and tell him that you knew about the baby even before you arrived to New Orleans."

"You wanted protection against Niklaus and I gave you my word. He hasn't searched for you yet, has he?"  
"I wanted protection before Elena shoved that damn cure down my mouth." Katherine yelled enraged and tossed the glass against the wall.

Elijah looked at the Hayley that shamelessly stood there like she was even part of this conversation. "Do you mind giving us a few minutes Hayley, we will talk later." he warned the girl.  
She annoyingly huffed and left the room swinging her hips, Elijah searched for Katherine's eyes again. "What have you done with the blood I gave you Katerina?"

"I took it every day hoping to get killed and come back as the flawless vampire that I would have stayed if it wasn't for you." she bitterly said.  
"I was doing the right thing Katerina…"

"You lost the cure to Silas and it ended up on the hands of Saint Elena." Katherine was losing her patience again.  
"I could have not predicted that outcome but you have to agree that she had good reason to enforce such a cruel destiny on you."

Katherine turned her back on Elijah concealing her pain, as a human it was hard keeping the constant wall between her feelings and what she showed the world. "The victim always gets the sympathy of everyone but regardless of that my sweet Elijah…" she looked down on the floor. "… you still disappoint me."  
Elijah slowly took her arms and a step closer to her back; he rested his forehead against her wall of curls and closed his eyes. "Forgive me for the blunt words but you have never ceased to disappoint _me_." he whispered hurt.

Katherine closed her eyes. "I always come in second Elijah. You've placed your loyalty towards your brother before our love and just now, you are placing the woman who killed your other brother before me." she lowered her head and closed her eyes because he moved an arm around her, resting his hand just above her heart. "But I will not allow you to put that _thing _eavesdropping on us before me this time." she whispered aware that he was listening to her heart race.

Elijah turned her around; he cradled her face between his hands and rested his forehead against hers. "I cannot do this again Katerina. I cannot bear to have my heart on display when you merely want to take what you need and leave me to mend after the scars."  
"Scars are a good thing Elijah; they make you remember that you can't change the past." she pulled herself together and pulled away from him. "I gave you that cure and you decided to play charades and games with Klaus and Rebekah, and because of it Elena got her hands on a cure that should have never been hers. So here I stood before you as a human again and for the second time you've refused to turn me." Katherine couldn't help the glistening tear that menaced a getaway from her strong armor.

"I know that my reasons are not very clear to you now."  
Katherine smiled at him and fixed the tie under the suit vest. "On the contrary Elijah, I see them very clearly. Unlike the rest of the world, I know you. When others see a brave and noble man who is always wise and composed, I look at you and I see nothing but a coward. A man who has lived his entire life under the shadow of his brother, you've done nothing but live your life through Klaus, through his women and now his unborn child. But if you are planning on using my blood to turn that dog into a hybrid let me assist you with a little insight to Katerina Petrova. I am a survivor and unlike my other version I didn't have a bunch of idiots ready to die for me and I had to do this alone."

Elijah held her wrist as she prepared to leave the warmth of his chest. "What did you do Katerina?"  
She wickedly smiled. "In case I find myself one of these days missing my head, Klaus will receive one of the many letters I wrote explaining in detail how you and I forged a perfect plan to make him _feel_." Katherine pulled her hand, narrowing her eyes at him when Elijah took his time letting her go. "Why don't you leave the shadows like the little rat that you are and join the grownups Hayley?"

Elijah looked over Katherine's shoulder to the girl showing up with a busted look on her face.  
Katherine turned her back on Elijah and walked over to Hayley that grimaced a bit with the dark glare that came from the sexy brunette. Unexpectedly Katherine was sweet as she gently cupped Hayley's chin. "But I also had a plan with Playmate of the month here. All I had to do was point Klaus in the right slutty direction."

Hayley didn't show fear when she smiled defying Katherine. "Klaus will hunt you down all over again because you conspired against him just to keep him busy and away from you and from Mystic Falls."  
Katherine lazily pursed her lips and tilted her head. "But first I get to watch Klaus baptize that miracle baby with wolfsbane while the baby is still inside your golden womb." she glanced back to Elijah and winked at him. "Always a pleasure Elijah."

He didn't look after her as she left; he focused on Hayley that gulped down nervously.

* * *

The little white dog barked excited and shook his tale when he saw her and Caroline reacted from the shocking news she just heard and came to the couch picking him up. "Hey there…"  
He tried to lick her face which made her smile and she rubbed his tummy looking at the man who gave her the dog, the situation felt somewhat awkward but she had other issues to address.  
"Bring Kol back?" Rebekah finally managed to form decent coherent words but only repeated her question. "How will you do that?"

Klaus left the book on the table watching his sister pace around confused and the distracting image of Caroline cuddling her dog. "Form a triangle, lift the veil and bring Kol to this side, once we have him back I'll have a witch restore the veil."  
"Wonderful plan Nik, it's almost as insane as breaking a curse to trigger your werewolf side." Rebekah needed a big drink and she went to fix one for herself while shaking her head.

"What would you need to do this?" Caroline came closer to the table.  
"The usual sacrifice of 12 humans, 12 hybrids and…" he stopped as she placed the white dog on the table.

"12 witches." she said looking at him but stroking Klausy's fur. "It only worked that time because Silas was guiding Bonnie, what makes you so sure that it will work again?"  
"Because it's not the first time that a veil has been lifted. The only difference is that Bonnie brought everyone back, I only need one…" he leaned over a bit, like he was inching towards her, pulled by an invisible force that always made him move just a bit closer to her; he never was quite able to restrain from being within her personal space and it always took him by surprise how comfortable with time she had become with that.

"Or two… there could be a way to bring Bonnie back."  
He saw the working of her glorious mind and he saw the sparkle of hope ignite in her beautiful eyes that always seemed just a bit held back, like everything in Caroline. She was astonishing but he knew just how grand she could become if she allowed herself to fully explore all of her potential.

"Help me lift the veil Caroline." he ventured fearless.  
She nervously laughed. "Just because we are friends now doesn't mean that I'm about to go kill another dozen witches to win a friendship ring."

"I'm sure than none of you remember that I'm still in the room but I agree with Caroline, this is insane." Rebekah arrived to the table looking at Klaus certain that he has lost it completely.  
"I find sanity in the hours I was forced to stay locked inside a house with the ashes of my baby brother after I was forced to watch her friends slaughter him ruthlessly." he said in a low voice but it didn't reach Caroline in an eerie way, he was hurting over it.

"I know that you were in pain over it but you didn't exactly help us with Silas." Caroline hoped he would look at her but he kept his eyes on his sister.  
"I wanted to use the cure to kill Silas and bring Kol back but once again everyone ruined everything."

"It would help if you actually talked Nik, instead of threatening everyone around you." Rebekah dropped her drink upset.  
"Or lashing out and sticking lamp posts into chests and then biting people." Caroline mumbled.

Rebekah looked at Caroline with a big smile. "Or snapping necks, he does that occasionally."  
Klaus made this deep sound on the verge of doing it all over again but both blondes were bonding over the amusing bashing moment; then the little dog simply knocked the glass that belonged to Rebekah and the beverage fell all over Kol's book.

"KLAUSY!" Both yelled at the same time.  
Klaus squinted and then looked down on the little white ball that shook his tale looking at him. He pulled his eyebrows together and had a staring contest with the dog that barked and then went to chew on Caroline's fingers. Klaus slowly raised his eyes to Caroline that gave him a cute smile and a small shrug; he quickly went for another drink.

Rebekah left the room to put the book away into safety while Caroline took a deep breath.  
"Do you really think that it's possible to bring them back?"

Klaus smiled keeping his back on Caroline. "Before I removed the tongue of the hunter that my sister took into bed, he was rather talkative about the sword that I kept for centuries and all the legends regarding the cure."  
"You knew all that stuff in Aramaic already and you knew that there was only one cure…" Caroline folded her arms upset.

He looked back at her with a small smirk. "It kept you around for an entire day, it was worth every slow awakening of my foggy memory."  
She judged him as hard as she could. "So you knew about the cure, what else did you know? Because when the time came to fight Silas you weren't that talkative were you? Or helpful because instead of helping us, you walked out on us, you left and…" Caroline unfolded her arms. "Yeah… you took your wisdom with you and we were left here to fight an ancient witch that came to me in the woods looking like you and freaking the hell out of me before he stabbed me."

Klaus grimaced. "He came after you looking like me?"  
Caroline looked down on the ugly shirt she was still wearing, she really had to change.

"Caroline?" he patiently pulled her back to the conversation and she looked up to find him standing in front of her, awfully close to her and breathing the same air as she was.  
"He wanted Bonnie and he said all these things and I thought he was you… then he went after my mom and he almost killed her."

"You are upset that I wasn't here…" he sounded so astounded by it.  
"Not really…" it left her in a whisper because she hadn't realized it until now.

"What did Silas tell you?"  
Caroline fondled with words. "I... don't really remember…"

He immediately smirked. "Those lying abilities need to be worked upon."  
She crumbled into a smile. "Give me time; I just tackled the bad girl routine."

Klaus' blazing blue pearls seemed to dance the damn waltz with hers and for some reason she was taken back to wearing a Princess dress and flying with him across the dance floor. She only lowered her gaze enough to make sure he kept his on hers and for that brief second she caught herself thinking how extraordinary his eyes were. How all that blue seemed to fade into a fine shade of green and how much depth they had, she could literally imagine all the pain he had been through and she found the question racing through her mind; had these crystal blue eyes ever seen happiness at all?  
Because they always seemed so different when he looked at her or when he laughed. Yes, the day he teased her about her application letter, there had been a different sparkle in them.

"Do you two need a minute?" Rebekah's voice brutally interrupted the heavy conversation they were having with their eyes. "Or a few hours locked inside a room?"  
And both straight away broke from each other.

Klaus focused on his drink while Caroline picked Klausy. "I need to go check on my mom, the town is acting crazy and I need a new phone..." she unconsciously touched her pocket. "Tyler broke my phone..." she looked at Klaus and Rebekah. "And I need to stop talking." she snapped out of her monologue and quickly left the house.

Rebekah smiled amused with the Caroline show. "Do you think she will help us?"  
Klaus found a pad and ripped a page from it. "You never know with Caroline, she's unpredictable."

He sounded just like he was proud of her and Rebekah sighed. "Silas must really love you and Caroline; one slays the hybrids while the other slays the witches, what a match."  
He ignored her tease and signed what he just wrote. "I take it that I have your support now that you have abandoned the idea of being human?"

"I still think that the tainted blood is eating away your brain as well..." she pulled a very strange face. "Perhaps you caught something from fishy eyes?"  
Klaus simply warned her with a look.

She gave her hands a small movement. "It was an easy joke, I've spent my summer with a funny fella. So you found something that you decided to keep it a secret, I'm over the shock Nik, what did you find?"  
"There are three supernatural places where the Expression triangles could have been done; two of them were Mystic Falls and New Orleans." he said folding the paper and taking his cell out, he touched the screen a few times and then looked at his sister. "It was obvious that the doppelgänger and her friends were doomed to ruin everything as they eventually did and I had no use for Silas breathing down on my neck while I plotted to use his own spell to bring my brother back, so Katherine's letter was the perfect chance to have everyone looking that way."

Rebekah pointed at him with a fierce finger. "This entire infantile contest with Marcel over the city…"  
"Well, Marcel's policy against the witches is not exactly helping my plan but every good master plan finds a few bumps on the road."

"And Elijah?" she asked him aware that he was keeping the other in the dark.  
"He is rather busy with my leftovers and fatherhood and all those issues that mean exactly nothing to me." he smiled happily and handed her the paper containing the list of things he needed from her.

"Unlike Caroline... all I had to do was send you a message that Silas was back in town messing with Caroline's head and you came running." Rebekah confronted him.  
He didn't stop and spoke already closing the door. "Actually I took the private jet."

Rebekah dryly laughed at the joke, the moron was in love.

* * *

**New Orleans**

"I thought that the entire _I'll walk you home_ routine was a way to ease me into a date." Camille tilted her head and narrowed her eyes when Marcel stopped them before crossing the street and checking for cars.  
He pulled his hand back realizing he was holding her back and smiled. "But instead I'm treating you like a five-year old…"

"If you wanted to hold my hand… you could have just said that you are a really old fashion guy." she smiled hugely at him.  
Marcel chuckled crossing the street but he was on edge and she picked up on it. "Is there anything that you want to tell me Marcel?"

He stopped in the middle of the deserted road and faced her with a seriousness that wasn't common in him, at least one that she hadn't seen often. "Yes, it's something about me."  
She gasped mockingly covering her mouth. "Are you a vampire?" she whispered.

He rolled his eyes which made her laugh.  
"Come on big guy, I'm a bartender, I already know about all the dark secrets that you have."

"You might be in danger because of the dark secrets that you know."  
Camille enchanted him easily with another smile and pulled the cardigan closer to her chest. "This is New Orleans, no one is safe."

"There's not an aunt in Texas that you might visit while I deal with Niklaus?"  
She slowly shook her head. "I'm the only one left. But you don't owe me anything, I don't need protection and whatever happens shouldn't be on your conscience, I'm not your responsibility Marcel and I'm old enough to know what I want."

"Would that be a date with me?" he cunningly smiled.  
She laughed and started walking home. "Nope."

"Dinner, a drink?" he asked from where he was standing.  
"Goodnight big guy." she answered without stopping.  
He smiled but took another look around making sure she wasn't being followed.

* * *

Caroline brushed her wet hair with a towel, thankfully she found her mother sleeping after a night shift so for now she was safe and away from Silas and his evil doings. She tossed the towel on the bed and ran her fingers through her long hair, she already felt better after a shower and she was really excited when she found a nice blue summer dress, one of the few she left behind.

Caroline went to the kitchen for a glass of water when the knock on the front door called for her attention. "Seriously?" she murmured when she saw Klaus stoically standing in her front door without a smile but still looking soft in his features.  
She silently opened her door but didn't move from the security of her home, she held the door but didn't invite him in either. What a perfect analogy for them.

Klaus handed her a small package, Caroline's hand was trembling when she took it. "Rather big..." she inspected the rectangular package. "I expected earrings to go with the bracelet." she bravely made a joke. Someone should give her a big cookie.  
"I left but I wanted you to come with me."

Caroline pressed the package against her chest. "Are you Silas?" she asked disturbed.  
"No Caroline." he answered with a smile.

"Just checking..." she whispered.  
"I know what I want Caroline, I have always known from the start and I have always been true to that. I have never lied to you, deceived you about all that was under my control and it may seem to you that I moved on somehow but the unwavering truth behind it all is that no matter where I go or where you go, I will always be the one standing at your door." he managed to smile before turning away.

Caroline gripped the threshold and bravely took a small step coming outside. "Maybe one day I will invite you in." she managed to stretch her bravery just a bit more.  
Klaus licked his lips reaching his car, he strangely took his time before facing her knowing that her big blue eyes would render him speechless but he was not about to leave Mystic Falls without relishing in his small victory. "I got you a new phone but... perhaps you could add my number under the name _Nik_? Since you decided to call your dog after Klaus."

Caroline opened her gift smiling because he even got the blue cover like her old one. "Nik huh?" she whispered watching him race away. "Maybe I can blame it all on Silas."

* * *

Stefan left the bar in pure agony, this was his own hell, his torment taking its toll on him, Klaus was keeping him away from everything and everyone he loved and closer to a horrible crash landing. He could barely breathe through the pain ripping through him and he knew the only thing that would bring him any peace at this point was her voice.  
Stefan dialed the number he knew by heart and closed his eyes hoping to at least hear her voice, all he wanted was to be with her.

_"Hello?" _  
Stefan allowed the sweet pain to cut through his heart as her voice brought that overwhelming truth, he loved her. He loved her so much.

_"Hello?" _she asked again slightly wavering.  
He stayed quiet, he was verging on an awful breakdown.

_"Stefan?" _Elena called with a soft break in her voice as well. _"Stefan, if this is you, you'll be okay. I love you Stefan."  
_He could feel all the love in her voice and the worry, someone cared for him and he wasn't alone. He would get through this because of her.

_"Hold on to that. Never let that go." _Elena said and he could feel her voice fading.  
He gasped fighting through the water that was killing him again, he tried holding on for her; he had to keep trying.

_"Hold on to that. Never let that go."_

* * *

**Soundtrack: **

Do You Remember - _Ane Brun_

Toxic -_Yaël Naïm_

Fire - _Brian Crain _


	9. Tell me as it is

Liz halted on the way to another sip from her coffee, she glanced over to Caroline that watched her with a heavy frown and resting her chin on her hand keeping track of every move and breath her mother took; Liz was almost certain that she was even counting every beat her heart made. "I said that I'm fine Caroline, if there is any Silas influence in town it's not affecting me at all."  
"If you were under his compulsion, that's exactly what you would say…" Caroline lessened her eyes in suspicion.

The expression made Liz laugh and she ended her coffee still shaking in laughter. "I am not compelled Caroline."  
"Prove it." Caroline said without moving an inch but tapping her fingers on the table.

"If he is turning off emotions like you said, I would use all that money that we are spending on a college that apparently you gave up on and use it to buy the saddle pistols that belonged to George Washington."  
Caroline crumbled into a smile. "I know that I'm slightly slacking but I will go back."

Liz tilted her head a bit looking at Caroline serious.  
Her daughter cunningly gave her a giant smile. "And thank you, now I know what your dream Christmas' present is."

"They are prized around 2 million dollars, are you asking the handsome murderer that was at my doorstep last night for the loan?"  
Caroline lost the small and moved; she slowly entangled her fingers resting her arms on the kitchen table. "I got the message, you are not being controlled by Silas."

"Nope, good old mother concern. What are you doing Caroline?" Liz asked with a grave shrug.  
Caroline sighed. "I don't know."  
"How is that possible? Caroline Forbes always knows everything." Liz teased her a little.

"I know right? I'm on top of my game, there is nothing that I can't do or fix and I had everything planned and organized for the next 150 years…" Caroline huffed her bangs upset. "Then Klaus shows up and he messes with everything and he saves me and then I try to kill him but he's the smart one and he tries to kill me but Klaus can't do anything easy, oh no, he always has to top everyone else and he decides to save me again. He goes after Tyler just that he doesn't and then he chases me and does stuff for me that no one ever did. And I hate him for stalking me and getting me all the expensive stuff but then I don't really hate him for it…."

Caroline slumped a bit before a new wave of anger filled her. "And then he says all these things and I know better than to believe them but come on…" she threw her hands in the air. "It's hard ignoring how hot he is and how everything sounds like he is Reth frigging Buttler and I'm Scarlett O'Hara watching him leave and I just stand there hearing the epic music coming and the credits rolling and I don't want my movie to end like that." Caroline bit her lip fearing that her outburst would get her into trouble.

But Liz left the empty mug inside the sync and sat with Caroline; she sweetly took Caroline's hand and smiled. "Everyone wants the epic love honey, I wanted one as well but it never happened. I loved your father but the only epic event in our marriage was a little know-it-all."  
Caroline smiled trying to conceal how smug she was about it, she was fairly sure she was doing an awful job at it though.

"Perhaps because it just wasn't meant to be or I just settled for the one man who didn't mess too much with my head or my heart. It was easy being in a relationship with Bill, there were no major hassles or fights and everything was always just… simple."  
Caroline chewed on her lip slowly.

Liz chuckled. "It didn't work out because he had his heart somewhere else but if that wasn't the case we would simply be stuck in a life that neither found interesting or likable, challenging or passionate. I know that you are young Caroline but I think you are starting to understand that passion isn't just physical attraction or sex. It's the fights and wanting to shoot someone in the head because they literally make you question everything that you ever took for granted. It's about not taking the easy way out and settling."  
"Klaus is going to be a dad; he magically got Hayley pregnant…" Caroline took the moment of vulnerability with her mother serious.

"How is that even possible?"  
Caroline chuckled with the stunned look on her mother's face. "Everyone is going around asking that question…"

Liz reached out touching a few golden locks of Caroline's. "You just turned 18, are you sure you want to dive into a mess with a magical baby on the way and all that surrounds Klaus? With Tyler, you wouldn't have to worry about being in danger all the time and I would sleep soundly throughout all my nights."  
Caroline smiled a bit as her mother left the table and kissed her head before leaving for work.

She was definitely confused as she was left alone inside the house where she grew up, Caroline searched for the albums with her childhood pictures; she wasn't sure why the sudden urge came over her but somewhere along the extensive notes she made herself she found the picture that unconsciously she was looking for.

Under the tag of _me and my very best friend _was a picture of Bonnie and her at age 11 striking a silly pose and looking absolutely adorable. Caroline detached the picture from the page and put the album away; she focused on the picture and closed her eyes. "Bonnie, if you are there… let me see you and talk to you. I'm not sure how this works but give me a sign, something… please…" she pleaded into the empty house and waited for anything but only sadness showed up and Caroline felt the heavy weight of it all.

* * *

"_Hey sexy thing…" _Bonnie woke up with the distant voice and a gentle pad on her cheek; she battled heavy eyelids and pushed her eyes open.  
The pair of hazel eyes came with a lazy smile and she fought with a nauseated taste of blood inside her mouth. "What happened?" Her voice came out groggy and she forced herself to sit up, Bonnie instantly frowned recognizing the cave she was in. "Why have you brought me here?"

Kol was crouching in front of her and gave his shoulders a move. "I've been told that you brought my mother back to life inside these caves."  
Bonnie's green eyes searched the symbols engraved on the wall telling the story of his family. "You shouldn't be allowed in here."

"Because I'm a vampire?" he smiled amused. "I can do a lot of things now that I'm dead. Who said life ended once you went to the other side?" he wiggled his eyebrows.  
"Is this really the other side?" she asked standing up wanting to gain some control over her situation.

Kol stood as well facing her on the same level but with a dark smile that she couldn't match. "Silas likes playing games, he kept us both around. Almost part of the living world but never truly able to cross it and be one with reality."  
"Stop talking in riddles." she demanded.

Kol paced around the witch, he knew she was scared of him and she wouldn't try to take him down again, at least not so soon. "We are stuck in a place that is neither the other side nor the world of the living. It's an illusion and where we are able to change clothes and walk around like we are actually alive yet, we are not."  
"If you don't stop being so ambiguous I will torture you again." she snapped.

"You can try." he smirked.  
"What does Silas want with us?"

He liked the fierce way that she was commanding answers and lost the easy smile, he halted on his walk around her and came clean; at least as much as he was able to. "He is keeping us here because he doesn't want us to cross over or go to the other side."  
"Why?"

He had his head to the side and his eyes were covering all the wonderful curves in the petite woman, his eyes met hers with ablaze and he actually made her feel uncomfortable with the way he did it. No one had ever looked at her this way; if she had to describe it in one word she would easily narrow it down to desire. Never before Bonnie actually saw herself as a woman who would stoke that much raw desire in a man and she was undeniably shaken that she would pull it out of an Original. Kol's lust look was very dissimilar from Jeremy's that looked at her still with an innocence common to his young age.  
"I asked you a question Kol." she said in a low voice but courageously leaving her eyes on his.

"He wanted us away from her."  
She squinted at once. "Who?"

"The only one that can harm him."  
Bonnie gasped involuntarily taking a step closer to him. "Qetsiyah."

"Brains and looks, what a wonderful sin…" he shamelessly relished his eyes on her cleavage.  
She was too struck with the news to be bothered with it. "How do we get to her?"

"And bold." he said with a low purr that should have disgusted her but she was too focused on her new mission.  
Bonnie fiercely halted only a few inches away from his face. "I need to talk to Qetsiyah because Silas wants me to do something and all of a sudden you can practice magic so I'm not entirely sure why he needs you as well only that all this is looking a lot like he plans to unleash hell on everyone we have left alive and that we care about."

"Ummm…" he constricted his lips into a very slim line. "If only I cared about whoever was left back there…"  
It was her chance to return the smug smile. "Cut the act tough guy, you wanted your family to mourn you because you would mourn them and that is love. Cold-blooded and unreturned love but still, it's love."

"You are perceptibly confusing me with your boyfriend." he said turning his back on her.  
"Aren't you even curious why Silas is giving you witchcraft abilities?" Bonnie tried to stop him from leaving the caves.

Kol looked back with a flawless smile. "Have you ever heard about the Greek Goddess Hekate?" As he expected she looked puzzled enough. "Hekate was the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy. I'll give you a hint little one, the Greeks got their inspiration from Qetsiyah's legend and Silas is not the one giving me powers."  
Bonnie's chin fell with a loud gasp and she ran after him but he vanished leaving her alone in the dark woods. She angrily shouted after him. "Kol get back here." she could hear him laughing, taunting her from the darkness but he was done talking for today.

* * *

"Where have you been?" Damon asked his brother as soon as he came inside the boarding house.  
Silas calmly sat on the couch. "The town is acting very strange; I spent my night roaming around but I couldn't make much sense of what I saw. Everyone is acting like they couldn't spare a care at all." he smiled at Damon.

The blue-eyed brother left his drink over the mantel and came to the couch, he sat across Silas and tried to read him like he would naturally do with his real brother. "How was your summer?"  
"I found a peaceful little town near Colorado, there was an outstanding cottage and nothing but silence around me. One couldn't hear me even if I screamed real loud." he said with hidden malice for Stefan's real fate.

"Why didn't you take our calls?"  
"I'm sure you had a lot going on in your bed, I didn't want to take any of your time."

Damon slowly pushed the sleeves of his shirt up. "Stefan… I love her but you are my brother."  
Silas threw his head back and laughed, he startled Damon but the idiotic mind of the vampire was a lot to endure without breaking his disguise momentarily. "I'm deeply moved that you remembered that honorable love after you stole my girl."

"It wasn't like that…" Damon said between clenched teeth.  
Silas moved quickly leaning over to Damon. "Of course not, you have only hassle and weasel your way into her."

Damon shot his eyes with fury for the blunt way Silas was addressing Elena.  
Silas decided to have just a little more fun and his voice was soft as pure malevolence. "While you are there giving her all the pleasure you think I never gave her, does it cross your mind Damon that it was my name that she moaned first, my back that she scratched first while she heavenly proclaimed her eternal love for me?"

Damon gritted his teeth before flashing and burying his fist in Silas' face, he was about to punch him again when Elena showed up and pushed him away from Silas.  
"What are you doing?" she confronted him but quickly went to check on the blonde one. "You are bleeding…" she sweetly looked at Silas.

He pretended innocence and shook her hand away. "It's ok Elena. I know my brother and I wasn't expecting any less from him… I don't even know why I bothered coming back."  
Elena tried to hold on to his hand but Silas quickly fled to his room, she faced Damon with a hard face that he wouldn't take.

"Don't even bother." he said grabbing his leather jacket and leaving the house fast.

* * *

**New Orleans**

Klaus left the duffle bag on the table and removed his jacket swiftly running his fingers through the inside and taking his phone out, he threw the jacket on the couch and quickly searched for her new number but a distracting scent hit him, Klaus held his thumb in the air before touching the screen to call her. "I hope you are visiting to announce that you have decided to vanish from civilization and decided to go raise the baby demon on some forgotten mountain or perhaps a jungle?" he squinted softly. "I recommend the Amazon, there are tribes that still sacrifice their children." Klaus smiled. "I find them terribly delightful."

Hayley left the lobby walking like the snake he should have guessed she was. "We need to talk."  
Klaus locked his phone gripping it tight in his hand, he was restraining from gripping Hayley's heart instead. "Did Elijah sent you?"

Hayley shook her head and tried to be subtle as she came closer to him but there's so much one could ask from a girl like her, subtlety was beyond her limited abilities and Klaus gave her a good 10 seconds before he threw her against the wall.  
"Your brother is very noble and I admire him for that but he isn't like us… he doesn't understand people like us."

"Are you for one second placing yourself so blatantly on the same level than me? Sweetheart, the table that witnessed our forgettable 10 minutes is worth a lot more than you; it is real mahogany after all." he gave her a delicious side smirk.  
"And I'm just an orphan, I get it Klaus."

He pulled a pout and reached out sweetly taking her chin. "And again you are playing a dangerous game… you see…" he licked his lips and then his soft fingers moved, she could feel his thumb pressing under her chin while his hand dangerously pressed her jugular. "… it would be so easy to just snap… you out of your conceited judgment that I actually care about your sad and pathetic little life. For all I know, I probably killed your parents and I can't relate to any childhood drama that you want to sell me. To me it's not even relevant that you are barely breathing evenly right now and that your heart is pounding under my touch scared that I end your life. If anything, I have more respect for those who are not scared of me when I'm about to kill them."

"Look, I'm as happy with this baby as you are. This is not how I expected to spend my summer, this was only supposed to lead me to answers about my parents. I just wanted to know who I was and then this happened." she made sure his eyes followed as she rubbed her pregnant belly. "I'm not asking for much Klaus but we are in this together; I flirted with you as much as you allowed me to and while you thought of someone else, I thought of Tyler the entire time. We are even."

Klaus twisted his lips elated with the small attempt to spike him and released her but not before slightly pushing her away from him like he was repulsed of her, which wasn't far from the truth. "Make your plea wolf."  
Hayley took a deep breath and arched her eyebrows in a look that he still wasn't sure if it was supposed to come across as sexy or simply idiotic. "Protect me during this pregnancy, whoever comes after you will come after me and your baby." she made sure to remind him of that small detail.

"_My _baby? I'm not sure appealing to the dead fatherhood instinct in me is the wisest thing to do, besides…" he touched his chest deeply emotional. "I have no enemies, I'm such a sweet amiable man."  
"Elijah can't protect me like you can."

Klaus folded his arms looking deeply thoughtful to her. "Most precise since he can't do a thing to stop me."  
She ignored the smug smile and turned her back on him pretending a sniffle fit which was exactly where she finally lost him, he couldn't stand the dramatic display at all.

"Leave my house and this time, make sure you stay away." he walked over to the table dropping his phone there.  
Hayley pulled her fake tears back and moved her head to look at him, her cat eyes were piercing through his back, she was not about to walk out without leaving a taste of her venom.

"You are ready to move heaven and hell for one woman who doesn't want you, that despises you and turns you down every single time you try to reach out to her but you can't bring yourself to lift a finger to protect this baby and I? Elijah is so right, there is nothing human left in you. But you know what Klaus?" she maneuvered her slick body so she could face him completely; she kept her head high as he turned to meet her eyes as well. "I'm not the weak one and unimportant here, Caroline is because I'm the one giving you a baby not her."

And then she held her breath waiting, Klaus wasn't breathing at all. The room was filled with the most uncanny silence and she was aware that the only noise was her own heart giving away how much the wait was taking on her.  
She gave a small step back when his tense body moved an inch but maybe it was her eyes tricking her as he seemed to drag the moment merely to torture her.

He completely took her off guard as he smiled, a set of dimples greeting her. "My deepest apologies, I forgot to tell you earlier when you were trying to win me over with the soap opera version of your trifling life, that I met your family."  
Hayley's eyes widened at once taken by shock.

Klaus promptly took the bag he had over the table and opened it. "They send their regards." he said and removed a head from inside the bag throwing it at her feet.  
She yelped and stepped back horrified as the head stopped rolling in front her and a man stared at her with an open mouth and eyes, the blood still dripping from the cut. She screamed when Klaus appeared in front of her stealing her attention to the hand that grabbed her arm and dragged her across the room to the table.

"Klaus let me go." she successfully said before tears choked her.  
"Not before we get you acquainted with the family." he easily said taking a bunch of pictures covered in blood from inside the bag. "See that one?" he pointed at one picture. "That's your cousin, beautiful eyes that I dug out with a sword and that one beautiful lady? I think she was your grandmother but I could be wrong, although I wouldn't worry because I'm sure one of the ten werewolves I slaughtered was the closest thing you had to a family."

Hayley caught the same birth mark symbol on the pictures of the dead bodies and she looked at him horror-struck, he simply grabbed her other arm so that he made sure she stayed right where she was.  
"That was purely for going to Marcel running your mouth and whatnot." his grip tightened around Hayley harder just like his features. "I will hunt down every single member of that clan and exterminate your entire lineage if you ever, and I emphasize on the ever part Hayley, open that mouth to speak another word about Caroline." he sounded as low and threatening as the devil about to rip a soul. "You are not giving me anything that I want Hayley and if you insist on going around town making deals with everyone I will be forced to stop being so nice to you."

When he released his grip on her, her legs and knees simply gave in on her and she fell to the floor. "Would you kill me and your heir, are you that emotionless?" she asked before he left the room.  
Klaus easily looked down on her. "If you were lying on the ground bleeding and needed my blood to survive and to save that child inside of you… I would turn my back on you and walk away as if you never existed in my life, much like I'm doing now." he stopped near the grotesque head and pointed at it. "Please take your family with you when you leave my house."

* * *

Caroline asked for a bottle of Scotch and searched for a table, she ignored Damon that was sitting alone in another table hoping he would stay away from her. She wasn't as lucky with Elena that stormed inside The Grill and went straight to her table instead of Damon's.  
"He just assaulted Stefan." she said taking the bottle and the glass for herself before Caroline even had a taste of it.

"Stefan? He probably isn't even real, he probably is just our imagination working because Silas is having a play day again."  
Elena dropped the glass slowly on the table. "You think?"

Caroline rubbed the back of her neck tired. "I don't know, maybe? Someone messed with my head and sent me to kill April and he looked just like Stefan. So I don't know…"  
Elena shook her head determined. "No, the man back at the house was Stefan. I know him."

"No one can refute the sordid facts." Damon's grumpy voice came closer and he sat next to Elena defying her with a bastard smile. "You two have this deep connection and all."  
"Are you even serious? Why are you jealous of Stefan now?" Elena confronted him.

"I must be out of my mind. It has to be Silas." he gasped mockingly.  
"I love you." Elena shot back fast like she always did, like she was afraid to think about her words too much.

"And I love you but I'm not sure I can handle Stefan reminding me of what I had to endure while you were with him."  
"Damon…" Elena cradled his face sweetly.

"Seriously…" Caroline whispered from her end.  
Both vampires looked at her, she was holding her head with her hands and slowly looked at them when she noticed their eyes on her. She simply shrugged. "I can't believe I'm back to the back and forth Elena drama with the Salvatores."

Elena trapped her hair behind her ear appalled while Damon gave Caroline a look. "Ease up on the candid filter Barbie."  
"Bonnie is dead and the three of you can't get your eyes away from the triangle that you are stuck inside."

"What exactly do you want us to do?" Damon snapped.  
"Something else besides this." she moved her hands to prove a point. "It all revolves around which brother Elena is sleeping with every other week."

"Caroline." Elena breathed out shocked.  
"I'm sorry but Bonnie is dead and we are still talking about Damon and Stefan when we could actually be doing something for her."

"We are holding the service in two days…" Elena said sad.  
Caroline lost it and left the table fast, she pushed the door of The Grill open making a loud sound as it crashed against the wall.

"Caroline wait." Elena begged and quickly caught up to her. "I loved her as well and it's not fair that you think I'm not mourning her just because I'm happy with Damon."  
Caroline simply rolled her eyes walking around her friend but Elena wasn't about to give up that easily and caught up to the blonde again.

"She was my best friend as well."  
Caroline took the picture from her back pocket and showed it to Elena. "See this girl right here?" she pointed at Bonnie. "She died for you, for me, for all of us."

It was a hard blow for Elena and she looked away but Caroline fiercely took her arm.  
"No, look at her Elena. Look at the friend _we_ killed."

"Why are you talking like that?" Elena asked beginning to cry.  
"Because we did this." Caroline tried to keep it together releasing Elena, she focused on the picture instead and was shaking as she held it with both hands. "We killed her grandmother, her mother and then she died just to keep us all safe and to bring your brother back and what did we do for her Elena?"

Elena quivered her head not knowing what to say.  
Caroline put the picture away and held her head about to cry, she was crumbling down like the brunette in front of her. "We will give her the best funeral we can think of and wear black for one day, share nice stories about the good friend we lost and then we move on. We go back to our lives, carry on like she was never part of it at all…"

Elena covered her mouth crying and Damon finally moved taking her into his arms, she cried harder once in his strong embrace and he looked at the other vampire speaking in a low voice. "That's enough Caroline…"  
She couldn't agree with him. "No, we can change that."

Damon pulled his eyebrows together. "What do you want us to do? Bring her back to life?"  
"Yes." Caroline said with too much excitement.

"You just lost it… we can't bring her back Caroline. The last time I checked the only powerful witch we had… died." he tried to make the reality hit Caroline permanently.  
"What if there was chance to bring her back to us, to keep her here with us?"

"Silas really made a number on you Caroline." he took the crying girl in his arms away.  
She didn't carry on with her fight, there was no use anyway, Caroline turned on the opposite direction missing the blonde man spying on them.

* * *

**New Orleans**

Katherine uneasily opened the door as he spoke from the other side announcing himself. "What are you doing here?"  
"I intended to ask what are you still doing here but as always, you were quicker." Elijah said patiently waiting to be asked inside.

Katherine reluctantly moved. "Do come in."  
Elijah took a quick look inside the nice hotel room but he was always more interested in her features. "If you insist on staying in New Orleans at least let me be a gentleman and offer my house."

"A room in the corner of Bourbon Street with the French Corner sounds perfect but I gently decline because I'm insulted that you would even consider making me share a mattress with the girl pregnant of your brother."  
He stopped her at once by straddling her face between his hands. "Don't do this to me Katerina. Don't give me hope of listening to you say how much you love one more time to only have you play me like I mean nothing to you."

"I didn't play you. I did everything right this time and still it wasn't enough..." she crumbled under his touch.  
"There is nothing between Hayley and I, she is only a way to make Niklaus reconnect to his lost humanity. I just want my family back Katerina."

"And I want you..." she whispered.  
Elijah leaned his forehead touching hers and his hand was lost in her wonderful curls before he rested his lips against hers. A soft kiss that quickly became nothing but an urgent need for each other.

Katherine pressed herself to him answering the deep kiss and closed her eyes as he picked her up carrying her to the bed, Elijah sat her there and she took his jacket off pulling him down by the tie that she pulled from under his suit vest.  
She released a harsh breath as his hand rested on her leg pushing the dress slowly up and then finding its way inside becoming one with her soft skin.

Katherine moaned his name very aware that he was taking his time with her, she laid back in the bed with a chest rising and falling watching him as he took his tie slowly, Katherine stretched her arms above her head smiling in anticipation for what she knew was coming. She locked her wrists waiting for him as he undid the tie.

* * *

Caroline reached her house wrecked, she closed the front door already dialing his number. She couldn't hide the frustration when he didn't answer her call and it went to voicemail after a few rings. "Hey… it's me. I really needed someone to talk to…" she cringed her lips changing speech quickly, she hated coming off weak before him. "Call me when you hear this, I want to know more about your crazy plan to bring Kol back…" she turned around when she heard the sound of the safety of a gun being unlocked and softly gasped before her mother shot her right in the chest.

"Mom?" she asked feeling a horrible pain spreading fast to the rest of her body.  
Liz dropped the gun crying. "I'm so sorry honey…"

"That's ok Liz… go back to work now. I'll take care of your daughter." Silas said touching her shoulders.  
Liz nodded and left numbly.

Caroline fell to her knees dropping the phone and looking down, she touched her bleeding chest and then looked at the man crouching in front of her.  
"The bullet was laced with werewolf venom…" he took the gun from the floor and rested it against her shoulder. "Tell me about the hybrid's crazy plan. I'd like to know more about it as well." he smiled before squeezing the trigger.

* * *

**New Orleans**

Hayley closed herself inside her room, she was thankful that Elijah wasn't home and dropped the bag on the bed, she opened it avoiding the head inside and took the phone she stole from Klaus instead and unlocked it.

There was a missed call and a voice message that she quickly listened to, it was such a dark smile that took over her features as she caught Caroline being shot before the message ended.  
She took the phone from her ear and grinned happy, in the end her day still had a nice little twist to it.

* * *

**Soundtrack: **

Corner of your heart- _Ingrid Michaelson _

I'm On Fire - _Gabrielle Aplin __  
_

Whispers - _Dave Baxter _


	10. Guarded

Silas rested the gun on the table. "I think you should start talking Caroline."  
She dragged a long breath pulling the latest bullet lodged in her leg out. "I know about guns, you have one bullet left and I don't have much time to live so we should make this quick. Don't miss the heart this time and we can all go on our way." she dropped the bullet on the floor.

Silas left the table waving her phone. "I'm surprised the hybrid hasn't barged inside this house ready to rescue his queen."  
Caroline's eyes flicked between sadness and acceptance that he wasn't coming this time.

Silas knelt before her and cupped her chin, the movement made her rest her head against the wall, her skin was cold and ghastly white by now and the breaths were coming with such difficulty that it even hurt him by just listening to the heavy draw ins. "You think that he isn't coming because he is busy with his family now, his _new_ family..." Silas was careful not to smile as he read her doubts and fears, they weren't there for his glee, they were personal and just like the hybrid's, Caroline's mind was powerful and assertive about everything else in her life except for that file of hidden emotions that she kept guarded from others; just like Klaus. "I find you and Klaus fascinating in a way. You would be perfect for each other, so similar and yet you both believe that you are not good enough for each other... it's almost bittersweet."

Caroline lost the strength in her eyes that were already dim in all that light so particular to her. "Stop reading my mind..." she whispered.  
"There's only the two of us in here Caroline." he foreshadowed her doom by standing up and reaching for the gun.

She closed her eyes for a second, images of the ones she loved raced through her mind and she settled on Bonnie, they would be together now and rock the other side. The thought made her smile, she would see Bonnie again.  
"Tell me all you know about Klaus' little plan to mess with the other side Caroline or I will wait for your mother to get home and take my frustration out on her."

Caroline pressed her teeth together and faced him with nothing but hatred.

* * *

"And I win again." Tyler smugly smiled.  
Matt threw the remote to the side and picked his beer. "Only because you have all those sharp senses now." he grumbled.

"It's one of the few nice things I got from all this..." Tyler had his beer leaning over the couch with a heavy sigh.  
"Hey man... you have that gloomy vibe, do you need to talk?"

Tyler shook his head. "The company is enough Matt."  
"I still don't feel comfortable staying here now that you are back..."

"I'm sure you miss your really dark and miserable tiny room."  
Matt pointed the tip of his beer towards Tyler. "I don't but this isn't my house either."

"You can always move in with Rebekah, I'm sure she would like that."  
Matt stood up annoyed. "Things with her are... messy."

"Are you really blaming the Silas thing for breaking up with her? She's not on my list of favourite people but still..."  
Matt looked back at Tyler, he rubbed the back of his neck looking guilty. "She's an amazing girl but the entire time I kept thinking of all the things her family did to us and things only got worse when we got back here." he smiled reminiscing on the good memories he had from their summer together. "But she's really great."

"Amazing and great? It sounds a lot better than what I have." Tyler mumbled from the couch.  
"Yeah man... what's with that? Caroline is in town and you are here playing X-Box with me..." Matt raised his eyebrow followed by a funny face.

"She spent the entire summer talking to the man who forced me to stay away from her... that killed my mother."  
"I killed Rebekah's older brother."

Tyler looked at Matt who simply shrugged. "That's messed up dude." he quickly said.  
Matt chuckled. "Do you want to know what's really messed up? All of us, we went from stressing over the big game on weekends to fight vampires, to die and come back, to mourn family and friends every week. Our biggest problem isn't finding a date for after the game anymore, it's surviving it."

"How did we all end up like this? Because sometimes I almost forget that Vicky isn't alive anymore and that Jeremy isn't just a punk kid with black nails and high all the time." Tyler's smile was sad, heavy on everything that changed around them.  
"I miss her..." Matt indulged in a sadness that was always locked inside.

Tyler stood up and nodded at Matt. "I know the feeling."  
"I'm going to the kitchen and I'm getting two beers and we are going to kill a few more zombies to get over the really depressive mood." Matt sneered headed for the kitchen.

Tyler laughed sitting back down on the couch and setting up a new game, he frowned when the screen went all black. "Hey Donovan? I think the TV just decided to ruin your plans, I think it's broken." he said now standing in front of it and touching a few buttons. He tried the remote but nothing was working.  
"We can always go down to The Grill." Matt came back with two ice-cold beers but froze as Tyler stood back from the TV seeing the same thing that he was.

Slowly letters began to appear on screen like someone was writing on it, when it stopped a familiar name appeared on the black screen.  
**_Caroline._**

Tyler looked at Matt slowly; this was definitely out of the ordinary.

* * *

**New Orleans**

Hayley didn't bother looking up from the magazine she was only using to pass the time, she wasn't even reading it but she wasn't in the mood to confront Elijah. "Long night E?"  
Elijah opened his suit and took the jacket leaving it on the smaller couch; he looked at the girl brazenly sitting with her boots on the white couch. "I've asked you to address me by my full name Hayley."

She could feel him burning her with judging eyes and defiantly she crossed her feet making sure her boot smeared the white fabric. "Stop being so stiff Elijah, it's annoying." she looked at him changing pages on her magazine without any will.  
"Well you would be an expert in that." Katherine came inside the house with a smile.

Hayley looked at the other woman with a suspicious look. "What is this?" she asked as soon as a man came inside carrying a bag.  
"I've asked Katerina to move in with us." Elijah reached his hand out to Katherine that took it with a lazy smile.

"How could I ever resist you?" she came near Elijah and kissed him.  
Hayley pulled her tongue out repulsed by the long kiss. "So now I have to share a house with you?"

Katherine ran her finger along Elijah's chin. "Don't worry _moon-moon,_ I doubt that Elijah and I will spend that much time out of the master bedroom."  
"You will be sharing a room as well?" she tried to not sound that surprised.

Katherine laughed softly as Elijah kissed her cheek and went to show the man where he could take her bag. "You weren't counting on warming that bed were you?" she faced Hayley once they were alone.  
"Kind of obvious how you feel threatened by me." Hayley smirked. "But I'm just a simple girl who has no one and Elijah is such a perfect gentleman."

Katherine played with her high heel on the floor making a small clicking sound as she slowly tapped the heel against the wooden floor, she pointed at Hayley's belly. "Your mediocrity is showing, if I were you I'd keep those dirty claws away from my man. I might have lost my vampire edge but I've been a certified bitch for over 500 years and I can take you down without messing a single curl."

"This will be fun." Hayley smiled without showing fear and left the room.  
Katherine almost wished the other one knew how accurate her words were.

* * *

"I... don't... know..." Caroline whispered tired, everything was aching and burning in an invisible blaze covering her body entirely.  
"Why would he would do this? I thought Kol wasn't that important to him."

Caroline raised her eyes to look at the man standing. "I don't know..." her voice was barely audible now and she took another really long loud breath that dragged the little air she had left.  
"You are stuck on repeat Caroline."

"Show me your real face." she asked him slowly.  
Silas tilted his head. "Do you want to see your mother? Bonnie? Perhaps... _Nik_?"

She pulled the little strength left in her. "Your real face."  
"This is my real face Caroline but if you tell me what you know, I will make you see who you wish to be there in your final hour."

She shook her head with effort but still managed. "Your true face Silas."  
His hard unreadable features changed and softened enough for him to crouch in front of her and sweetly stroked the ghostly features of the blonde. "I loved a woman once; there was nothing I wouldn't have done for her..."

"When Klaus comes to cut your head off, tell him how much of a romantic you are, I'm sure you will bond over that." she said with a smile before losing consciousness.  
He pulled his hand away without a smile. "Now you are just hallucinating."

He straightened up taking his phone, it was time to call Liz and clean this mess, letting Klaus know that he just killed Caroline wasn't exactly next on his plans, he was counting on the hybrid making an appearance but anger was as good as everything they so desperately tried to hide from him.  
Before Liz took the call there was a knock on the door and he terminated the connection apprehensive, he smiled at Rebekah that greeted him with a wariness of her own. "Stefan? Or..." she cuddled the little Maltese in her arms.

"It's Stefan, I heard that Silas harmed you and Caroline so I came to talk to her about it." he said holding the door enough to cut her view inside.  
"I came to return Klausy, if she keeps leaving him with me, I will keep him." she introduced the white little thing that snarled at Silas and started barking angrily.

"He's not very friendly..."  
"Usually he is... where's Caroline?" she asked trying to quiet the little dog.

"She's not available." Silas said with a warm smile.  
"Klausy... stop it." Rebekah asked the dog but he was restless and she sighed bending over to release him into the house.

Just as she did so, Silas caught the fragment of her thoughts and looked ahead but it was too late as a spear ended on his chest.  
Rebekah lost the friendly stance and pulled a stake from her sleeve burying it in his heart, he gripped her hand tight before she twisted the weapon but a second spear hit his shoulder and he fell backwards.

Matt rushed with the crossbow in his hand but a blur went through him and past Rebekah that twisted Silas neck incapacitating him momentarily.  
Tyler rushed to Caroline that looked dead, the image was hard to take in but his shaking hand pulled a small tiny whimper when he touched her face and he was taken over by hope. The little dog was licking her fingers trying to wake any movement in her but she lost consciousness again.

Rebekah picked the gun from the table and smelled it. "I think it's wolf venom..." she looked at Matt that clasped his lips in that common way of his. "I'll call my brother Nik." she said wanting to erase the heavy worried line on his forehead but after a few rings she didn't have cheerful news. "He's not picking up."  
"Maybe he is on his way already..." Matt stated what everyone was thinking.

"I wouldn't count on that..." Silas sat up taking the weapons from his chest and dropping them with a nasty look. "He's not coming and I'm not really Stefan, I'm essentially immortal as well."  
"I call dibs on that status if you don't mind." Rebekah shot him between the eyes.

"We need to do something, she doesn't have much time." Tyler scooped Caroline in his arms.  
"Neither do we, if that is Silas." Matt said uneasily.

Rebekah grabbed the little dog and left the house quickly. "We need to hurry."

* * *

Bonnie watched them all get into the car with tears, she couldn't stop Silas and she could only hope that they got to her friend on time.  
"That was a slick trick..." Kol said next to her. "Writing the message on the screen about Caroline being held by Silas."

Bonnie erased all proof of her tears before stopping in front of him. "He almost killed my best friend."  
"And my sister is so in love with the quarterback that she is doing everything to save Nik's sweetheart. It's all one big romantic novel."

"And I'm stuck in a horror movie."  
"You are such a fan of those." Kol turned his back on her.

Bonnie tamed her anger and went after him. "If you know anything that can help us kill Silas, you have to tell me."  
"I love how demanding you are." he suddenly turned to face her. "Are you this commanding between the sheets?"

"I usually stab them when I'm done with men." she answered dryly.  
He grinned tilting his head and winking at her. "It's almost full moon, I think we should get together then, don't go anywhere..."

Bonnie honestly hated the guy, she couldn't stand his smirking personality but she wanted answers now so she strutted after him. "Why don't we skip the foreplay?"  
He laughed disappearing from her sight but Bonnie connected to his magic and appeared next to him on a cliff, when she tried to see where she was, she slipped and fell backwards but Kol caught her hand and pulled her to him.

"Careful there darling." he said in a low voice as she clashed against his hard chest.  
"Where are we?" she asked avoiding to look at his lips.

"You have one friend left in this town and he is lying on the bottom of that river."  
Bonnie couldn't make a thing out of his words but she wasn't able to think straight now that he cupped her cheek. "Who?"

"Nik's other sweetheart." he smiled entertained with the flustered and extremely confused look on her face.

* * *

**New Orleans**

"What can I get you?" Sophie asked without turning to see who just came inside the bar.  
"A shot of tequila, a little insight to your soul and maybe a kiss because damn... you are looking hot Sophie. Love the tat."

She lost the easiness and spun around faster than she intended. "What are you doing here?" she gasped looking at the door at once.  
"I had the liberty of turning the little sign over. We are closed for now." Leah said waiting for her drink.

"You can't be here. I'm trying to stay away from Marcel's wrath and nothing but trouble and darkness follows you Selene."  
Leah smouldered her way out of the stool and into an empty table. "Why don't you use your powers to drag me away?" she laughed with a silly gesture of her hand. "I forgot, you have no powers."

"Because you took them away." Sophie whispered.  
"You misbehaved." she waved her finger at Sophie. "Bad things happen when children don't do as they are told."

The other witch recoiled in her place; she stayed behind the counter quickly looking at the door as Elijah came inside.  
The Original bowed his head greeting her and then sat across Leah. "Thank you for meeting me."

"I would never refuse the chance to be face to face with the infamous dapper brother."  
"You are too kind on your words Selene."

She made a loud pleasing sound. "Almost made me want to go back to using my given name."  
"It's a lovely name but it wouldn't look as lovely on a tombstone."

"Did you all take lessons on being dark and mysterious and insanely hot when you threaten someone?"  
"By now Niklaus has narrowed down at least five different things he can use against you."

She gave her shoulders a small move. "Typical villain modus operandi. He wouldn't be Klaus if he didn't search at least five generations back into my line."  
"As soon as he gets what he wants from you, he will kill you and everyone you ever looked at."

"Tell me something I don't know about Klaus, this slaughter routine is getting very boring to hear."  
"I have a deal with Sophie..."

Leah stopped him at once by bursting into laughter. "You have a deal with the witch that can't do anything but good food?"  
"Marcel killed her sister, she is motivated enough."

"For what exactly?" Leah looked back at the other brunette that came off nervous.  
"To keep my brother under control and in exchange I deal with Marcel and give the city back to the witches."

"Ummm... I love the suit and the hard cheekbones and all but I'm not forfeiting one brother over the other one." Leah left the table at once.  
"Sophie told me about Davina."

Leah slowly glanced over to Sophie. "I wonder how you will cook after I cut off your hands."  
Sophie rested her hands over the counter. "I'm sorry Selene but I've picked sides and I like this side of the fence a lot more."

"Help me ensure that Niklaus' baby is safe during the upcoming war and after the dust settles I will free Davina from Marcel's hold."  
Leah sat back down on the chair hating herself for even listening to what Elijah had to tell her.

* * *

"Have you come to return my phone? Your pesky guest took it with her when she was last here." Klaus left the books he had open on the table to look at his brother that showed him how upset he was.  
"She told me about your field trip." Elijah sounded controlled but Klaus knew better.

Klaus looked down on the books ignoring Elijah.  
But Elijah was that predictable and closed the book before him truly upset. "Niklaus, when will you see your wrong ways? There needs to be an end to all of this, you need to stop."

"A warning always comes across more powerful when it is delivered wrenched by blood." Klaus threw in an easy smile moving away from the table to fetch for a drink.  
"You killed the poor girl's family. There is no excuse for what you just did and disenchantment isn't even a strong word to cover what I feel when I look at you."

"Let me offer you a simpler word Elijah, disappointment. It's close to what I feel for the brother that I wanted by my side; we are given the chance to start over, as a family and instead of taking my side you are choosing to harbor a girl who means nothing to us."  
"Should we simply turn blind to what she is carrying inside of her? Is that what you are expecting from all of us?"

"Don't insult me Elijah, bloodlines are just blood and flesh, what has kept me linked to all of you during the centuries runs much deeper than that. Or perhaps you are trying to tell me that you don't see me as a true brother because we don't share the same paternal blood? Or Rebekah that I have always seen as my little sister?"  
Elijah looked down from Klaus, the pain in him was the one thing that Elijah had never been able to stand. "Of course not. None of us has ever regarded you as anything but our own flesh and blood."

"Then don't stand there patronizing my choices, unlike our dear mother, I did not give a second thought to that girl after I was done with her and what she claims to be mine will be nothing but a mistake and from my personal experience I can assure you that child better not be mine or it will grow up wishing it was never conceived."  
Elijah sighed still unable to face his brother; he could imagine the tears that Klaus so stoically fought his way against. "I still hoped you would ensure this child would never suffer half of the harm that was inflicted on you." Elijah's mind flew to the past and to everything he watched Klaus go through always feeling powerless to stop it. "But if not even this will be enough to wake humanity in your dead heart then I'm afraid you will end up alone brother."

"I have lived my entire life alone."  
Elijah met his brother's eyes without a clue of what he was supposed to say now.

Their staring was done silently; never a harsh truth was this prevailing between them. Klaus had always felt alone, trapped in his own world and tormented by his demons and none of them had ever been able to help him and with that came the horrible realization that his entire plan was in danger of becoming a clear statement of how much he had failed his brother.

"I have been living in a fantasy that maybe my sweet brother with a tremendous amount of love to share with the world was not lost to us the day you were turned but I see now that you died that day and all that you became after that will never change. You will never change... Klaus." Elijah faced away from his brother and to the door ready to leave.  
Klaus wasn't about to stop him but Elijah halted because Rebekah stormed inside the house.

"Where is your phone? Why are you not taking any calls?" she asked Klaus on edge.

"Elijah's protégé decided to prove how mature she is and stole it. Why?" Klaus asked without much interest and desperately trying to shake the heavy conversation with his older sibling; of course that he wasn't expecting the horrific image of Tyler coming inside the house carrying a dying Caroline in his arms. The ghostly white look on her features, the barely uneven breathing took him back to the only time he had been truly scared of losing someone... her.  
Klaus ordered his legs to move and rushed to the younger hybrid. "What happened?"

"Her system is full of our venom so she needs your blood to heal." It wasn't the easiest thing but he looked at Klaus briefly displaying how unhappy he was with this but she matter the most so he did the most painful thing, Tyler handed Caroline to Klaus.  
Klaus easily made sure she was safe in his arms and carried her to his bedroom; this was as far as Tyler was able to go and he stayed behind with the others.

* * *

Klaus sat on the bed cradling her carefully against his chest and moved the golden locks that covered her ivory face, he quickly bit into his wrist and rested it against her lips, as he expected Caroline didn't react but he left his bleeding wrist on her mouth making sure the blood reached her.

His worried eyes glanced over the bullet holes in the green top and the Jeans, she had been shot several times and the fury that blazed its way through his veins was something Klaus was familiar with; but all answers to search later, knowing who did this to her was second to the fact that she was reacting and that her hand was moving to rest over his.

Klaus smiled as she pushed her eyes open, he loved that there was a small smile as she saw him. "Is this becoming another thing of ours?" he asked her in a low voice.  
Her weak smile grew. "We don't have a thing Klaus. I told you that already."

"I'm a little short on champagne; I wasn't expecting you in New Orleans."  
She frowned not understanding how she got here.

"I think Rebekah used the Jet but details are for later, you need more blood now." he chuckled when Caroline gave him a _seriously_ look. "It's time for you to use those fangs that never see the light of day sweetheart." he teased her with a mocking smirk.  
She narrowed her eyes with a soft scold and grabbed his wrist harshly sinking her teeth into it.

He protested with a loud sound. "Easy sweetheart, that's Original flesh that you are tearing apart ruthlessly."  
Caroline didn't answer him, she was enjoying her free meal and she had her eyes closed.

Klaus couldn't take his eyes away from her; she looked absolutely majestic while feeding and he couldn't stop his hand as it brushed her cheek that was gaining color and some heat.  
Caroline let go of his wrist and touched her lips crimson red from the blood just like her eyes, she tried moving her head a bit, like she was shielding away from him embarrassed that he saw her like this but Klaus' thumb moved her chin so she would stay exactly as she was and he contemplated on all the beauty before him.

She wasn't even sure why she was still in her vampire form but the way his thumb caressed the soft skin under him and the way he looked mesmerized at her left her without reaction.  
In a flick of a moment she caught the change in his eyes as well and they were now of a deep dark yellow that she unexpectedly couldn't look away, neither could she stop her fingers that touched the wrinkle under his eyes and it all made her softly gasp because he wasn't looking at her like the monster she was. The face she always concealed from others was before him and yet it was as if he wasn't even looking at that, he was looking at her very soul and Caroline was doing the same; seeing behind the hybrid that held with him the supremacy of ending or saving her life.

Two lost souls reflecting each other in a moment where there was no shame for what they were.

* * *

Klaus found the group waiting for news in the living room. "Caroline will be fine, she is resting for now." he informed the small crowd but focused on Tyler that stood by the fireplace.  
"Can we talk in private?" Tyler addressed him.

"But of course." Klaus took him to the house den closing the double doors behind him.  
Tyler took a meaningless look around the luxurious room before resting his eyes on Klaus. "We almost lost her today."

Klaus was taken aback by the usage of the _we _when referring to Caroline but said nothing, he allowed Tyler to carry on.  
"I love her Klaus, I doubt I will ever love anyone the way I love her but I can't keep her safe. She is fearless and she loves her friends so much that she will throw herself into anything without thinking of the consequences. She will always place herself in dangerous situations that I can't protect her from..."

Klaus lessened his eyes with a squint.  
"But you can."

"I've learned by now that nothing can really stop Caroline and I won't be the one preventing her from doing whatever she wishes." Klaus made that clear before he eased up on his features.  
"I meant what I said to you once, you have no idea what love is but I'm willing to step back if that means that you will keep Caroline alive."

"What shall I tell Caroline?"  
Tyler smiled. "That I will call her every other day and that I'll be right there when you gloriously screw up and she realizes that I was the better choice all along. That this isn't goodbye, just me coming to terms that right now I'm not strong enough to keep her safe but I am your first successful hybrid so keep an eye on me Klaus."

"I will quote every word to her." Klaus smiled easily.  
"I'm sure you will." Tyler left the den without looking back.

Tyler didn't stop until he reached the sidewalk but he caught Caroline's reflection from the window and looked back.  
She walked to him slowly, with a shawl wrapped around her shoulders. "Were you leaving again without saying goodbye?"

Tyler held the door with a sad smile. "There's this distance between us Caroline and all the times I left only made it bigger. I could stay and try to mend all that happened while I was away but I want a fair fight, I can't fight for you until you admit why you kept his drawings and why the girl who once celebrated his death is now his close friend."

Caroline was too tired to say anything and watched him leave in silence, there was a little square just across Klaus' house and she sat on a bench there watching the agitation around her. There was a street band performing and a few people dancing and singing with them, Caroline pulled the shawl closer and looked to the side as Klaus sat next to her.

For the longest time they sat there without speaking, they looked at the commotion happening like they were immune to it, like that was happening in a different world that didn't include them.

"I'm tired Klaus." she finally broke the heavy silence between them.  
Klaus remained motionless knowing she wasn't expecting a real conversation, she just needed to get a few things out of her chest.

"I'm tired of being tortured, I'm tired of fighting to keep some normality in all of our lives when no one else cares about it. I'm tired of losing friends or having them turn against me. I'm just so tired..." she confessed.

"You are 18 years old Caroline, I find it admirable that you will go to extreme lengths to lead your life like nothing ever happened but you are a vampire and soon all the ones you know and grew up with will perish away and everything will keep changing; fashion, music trends... all that changes with time and you can't do a thing about it. You adjust and for what I've seen from you, I know that you are excellent adjusting to whatever life throws at you but soon enough you will wake up and realize that things have lost meaning and that you didn't even notice the moment they became trivial. So perhaps before all that once matter the most becomes simply a mundane task in your life, you should start living it."

Caroline absorbed every word just like the day he first saved her.  
Klaus however broke eye contact and looked at the strangers dancing in front of them. "You should live your life without the burden of making everyone else happy because you are wasting precious time that you won't get back. Now is the time to be really reckless, bold and rebel and do all the mistakes you can think of because you have eternity to make amends..." he smirked looking at her again. "Or not."

"Are you telling me to be all dark and evil?"  
"I'm telling you to live; I did not save you and deliver that flawless speech about everything the world has to offer to have you waste it all in a small life."

Caroline smiled and stood up. "Nice try Klaus but I can't turn my back on my friends."  
"What are you so afraid of Caroline?"

She lost the smile clutching the shawl instead of answering him.  
Klaus stood up as well and kept her eyes hostage of his. "You never told me Caroline..."

"Told you what?" she whispered unable to speak any louder.  
"When I asked you if you were capable of forgetting all the horrible things I did, you answered that you would never know..."

Caroline held her breath as he came closer to her, she feared that he would stroke her face but he restrained from touching her and left her with a heartbreaking smile. "I'm giving you a chance to answer that, I hope you will take it love."  
The range of emotion that ran through her tired features was a parallel to the thoughts occupying her mind.

* * *

Elijah watched Klaus walk away and leave the blonde in the square battling a lot of feelings that even from where he was he could tell were overwhelming; he turned his attention to Rebekah that arrived to the balcony joining him.  
"You really think that fishy eyes is the key to bring our brother back?"

Elijah's expression showed how much he doubted that now.  
Rebekah beamed. "You chose fishy eyes over Caroline, the only person that Nik cares outside this dysfunctional family. You are an ass Elijah." she turned around flipping her blonde hair with an attitude under a grave look from Elijah.

* * *

Caroline walked down the hall searching for the administration office while trying to get everything that Elena was saying on the other side of the call.  
_"Damon thinks that we are sharing a house with Silas instead of Stefan and he had a big jealous attack when I freaked out about Stefan. But he could be in danger and we should be looking for him. You need to get back here Caroline, college can wait. We have a crisis on our hands."_

Caroline smiled. "I'm on my way back right now."  
_"Good... I need you here..."_

"I'll call you as soon as I arrive to Mystic Falls." she ended the call returning a real smile to the old lady that she found on the counter. "Hi."  
"Hi sweetheart, what can I do for you?"

Caroline handed her the papers she was holding. "I'd like to ask for a transfer."  
The lady went through the paperwork that Caroline handed her. "Everything seems to be in order, it might take a few days though..."

Caroline touched the woman's hand and smiled compelling her. "Are you sure?"  
"You can start tomorrow." she easily said and handed her a pile of pamphlets. "Welcome to the University of New Orleans. Do you have family here sweetheart?"

"I have a friend." Caroline answered with a sweet smile.

* * *

**Soundtrack: **

Bullet with Butterfly Wings – _Smashing Pumpkins_

Everything - _Lifehouse_

Roar_ – Katy Perry _


	11. U-turn

"What drives a man to do unthinkable things that others would refer as _out of character_? Or as many of you use on social networks these days, become _OOC_?"  
The audience that filled the big auditorium shared a quiet laughter and the professor carried on with a smile, he looked at all the faces deeply invested in his next words and he parted his hands with a simple gesture.

"Who are we to say with accuracy that someone is not acting as themselves? Most people die without showing others who they truly are. So for me to go out of my way to say the man caught last week on Bourbon Street flashing to old ladies is out of character because he is a respectful lawyer that has never done anything to indicate he likes really old ladies; is a stretch. The mind is like space, there is still too many riddles to be answered and too many corners to be explored." The man with white hair chuckled. "Or you know, this is New Orleans so maybe he pissed off a few witches and they decided to make a live Voodoo doll out of him."

The audience laughed louder and he smiled to end his lecture. "Cutting short, it is impossible to define a profile based only on what you assume that person should be, in my class, I intend to go deep into what truly hides behind an intriguing personality. What makes someone bad when everyone expects them to be good or the opposite, why does it surprise us so much when someone who we expect to be bad goes and do something truly worthy of our admiration? Stick around, together we might just answer a lot of these questions."

The audience instantly began to clap loudly and everyone stood up excited for the lecture, he bowed and then clapped thanking them for listening to him.  
Caroline had the biggest smile as she clapped in awe for the amazing hour she just spent listening to the professor and his mind-blowing speech about behavior and personality study.

"He is so amazing." A smiling blonde said next to her.  
Caroline looked at the girl. "Yes, I loved that so much." she said easily.

"I keep coming back to his classes and lectures even when I don't need them anymore."  
Caroline found the comment funny and picked her things with a chuckle. "I would say you are obsessed but in a good way?"

The blonde grabbed her bag with a soft laughter. "Very good, you will do well in his class."  
Caroline sighed going down the stairs. "I hope so, I'm setting my goals very high in college."

"Well, I keep coming back here because he was the one that inspired my thesis and I still remember my first day in his class, I was in awe and suddenly everything made sense."  
"I'm not there yet, but give me time… I just started." Caroline said as they reached the hall, she looked around a little lost.

"New to the university and to the city." The blonde pointed at her.  
Caroline's features became serious and she was a bit apprehensive.

"I'm Camille and I'm a bartender that studies social behavior, it gets really easy to make a profile after you get the hang of it."  
Caroline smiled but she wasn't too convinced. "I'm Caroline."

The other girl tried to make her comfortable and took a little card that she handed Caroline. "I work here, if you ever need someone to talk to or try the really expensive Scotch..."  
Caroline took the card with a silly giggle. "I got lost trying to find the French Quarter yesterday so it will be an adventure trying to find this." she shook the little card.

"New Orleans is really tiny once you get to know all the places; it's like a small town…" Camille narrowed her eyes.  
Caroline tapped the card against a nail. "It's that obvious?"

Camille sweetly smiled. "I'm really good at reading people."  
Caroline returned the smile as Camille walked away but she wasn't too euphoric about having someone so openly reading her, she still kept the card but now she had a vital issue, she had to find her way to her next class.

The best choice was to keep walking down the hall and then she only had to decide if she was going up or if she was going down, after a short hesitation she decided to go to the floor beneath her, she dodged a group of girls that were coming up distracted and talking between them and waited against the wall for the chance to move. That's when she saw a face she recognized, it was only momentarily because he disappeared among the crowd of students but Caroline swiftly raced down the stairs and looked for him, she caught a glimpse of him again and then it was easy to follow.

The busy crowd became smaller as some students disappeared into auditoriums or went outside and Caroline angrily realized she just lost him.  
There was no point in searching for her next class now, not when the hot guy from Whitmore was here; that couldn't be just coincidence and Caroline looked around the big campus wondering where to begin.

She focused trying to listen to what was happening around her, she trapped her wavy hair behind her ear and the noise of some guys playing basketball made her smile, she remembered how _Jesse _had been playing with a basketball ball back at her old university.  
Carefully Caroline scanned the area where a few guys were playing but she was disappointed when she didn't find him there; she huffed, could she be imagining him? She knew better than to believe this and went back to the main building.

As she turned she bumped into a girl quickly apologizing but the girl's smile wasn't honest or even natural.  
"You should be more careful." The girl said in a low serious manner.

Caroline wasn't expecting the hostility when everyone seemed so nice and pondered apologizing again but the girl neared Caroline with another step.  
"And I do mean, very careful. You never know when someone might show up and snap something."

Caroline squinted but heard the slightest sound behind her and quickly turned surprising the boy behind her ready to snap her neck, she dropped her things grabbing his hand and then his arm twisting it and locking it behind his back making him hiss in pain, she looked at the girl who smiled taking a stake from under her jacket.  
Caroline looked around but the few people on this part of Campus simply ignored what was happening by the trees.

"We've educated them all to look away; we are free to do whatever we want because everyone is afraid of us." The girl threw the stake in the air grabbing it as it came down and then showed Caroline her fangs.  
"What do you want?" Caroline was forced to struggle with the one under her hold as he swiftly turned the fight around, now she was the one with a salivating vampire holding her arm pinned against her back.

"Marcel wants Klaus to know how serious he is." The girl snarled and pulled her arm in the air ready to flash to Caroline.  
The blonde gasped surprised as a blur appeared behind the girl and took her heart out.

The hot boy Caroline had been chasing earlier dropped the heart at her feet and smiled at the man holding her. "Klaus knows how serious Marcel is and he is returning the graceful message."  
Caroline was bemused as the vampire holding her slowly released her and retracted his fangs looking down on the heart resting at her feet.

"Tell Marcel that Klaus says he is to stay away or he will be leading a heartless army from now on. That's a quote by the way." Jesse added.  
The vampire left to deliver his message and Caroline raised her finger in the air stumbling on words that took time to come out.

"What just happened?" she asked the hot guy that started picking her things from the ground.  
"My name is Jesse and I'm sired to Klaus, I was assigned to make sure nothing happens to you."

Caroline blankly looked at him before she forced herself to blink. "Back up, you are what? And he assigned you…" she swallowed the rest of the words and tilted her head. "Seriously?"  
He smiled because her expression was this mixture of stunned and slightly angry. "He sent me to Whitmore to protect you but I like that you moved to New Orleans." he shrugged easily. "How are you enjoying the city?" he handed her the books back and her bag.

Caroline took them slowly. "He gave me a slave?"  
Jesse laughed and shoved his hands inside the loose Jeans. "More like, whatever happens to you on my watch he will inflict on me slowly and agonizingly so try to stay away from nasty paper cuts."

Caroline tugged the strap of her bag around her shoulder incredulous with what was coming out of his mouth.  
"Coffee?" Jesse asked with a dashing smile completely at ease with his mission.

* * *

"Elijah?" Rebekah called into the big mansion, she waited a little longer before she shouted the name again.  
"He hasn't left his room since Katherine arrived but you can stay there yelling all day if you want."

Rebekah pulled her eyebrows together watching the small girl with cat eyes coming into sight while putting something inside her bag.  
"Are you the maid? Go and get Elijah for me and on the way fix me a drink, Gin preferably with no ice." Rebekah sat on the couch picking a magazine but tossing it to the side because she wasn't interested in gossip trivialities.

Hayley smiled looking at the Original. "You are very funny but I'm Hayley, _Bekah_."  
Rebekah gave the girl a good look before bursting into a sly laughter. "My poor brother was really desperate to forget about Caroline… I'm sorry if I've mistaken you with the maid but you remind me of one we once had and that I killed after she ruined one of my dresses. The way she squealed like a little pig as I removed her jugular is one of the most sweet memories that I cherish."

"That's curious… I thought it would be all the times Klaus stabbed you but maybe I heard wrong." Hayley dropped acidly walking to the door.  
Rebekah flashed out of the couch and grabbed her hand; Hayley screamed and fell to her knees clutching it as Rebekah easily squeezed it shattering a few bones like they were made of dust alone.

"Time to put you in your place, fishy eyes." The blonde Original looked down on the brown-haired girl kneeling at her feet and fighting tears. "That looks very accurate to me." she smirked and squeezed her fingers just a little more breaking another bone. "The help does not address the family by their names so don't ever call me Bekah again, don't even look me straight in the eyes if you intend to see that baby I highly doubt belongs to my brother."

"I don't care what you think." Hayley hissed between her excruciating pain.  
"Rebekah let her go." Elijah came into the room quickly and threatened his sister with a very stern look.

Rebekah smiled and opened her hand letting Hayley nurturing a series of broken bones. "You, Katherine and that one…" Rebekah nodded at Hayley that slowly stood up. "… know something that the rest of us, don't. And I'm going to find out what it is. I've decided to stay in New Orleans, I'm moving in with Nik." she left with the biggest grin.  
Elijah came near Hayley that sniffled holding her hand. "I should take you to the doctor."

"It's ok Elijah… it's just a broken hand." she said with a look that searched his eyes instantly.  
"Ice should do the trick." Katherine said from the entrance watching the scene with a quiet scold.

Hayley quickly left without lifting her head and Katherine kept her eyes on Elijah, when he smiled she returned it but she wasn't a woman to let things still like dead water.  
Elijah stroked her cheek sweetly. "I see a little line of distrust in your face."

She sighed resting her hand on his chest. "Not as long as you keep chasing me Elijah."  
He leaned over kissing her forehead and then her lips. "If I do catch you Katerina, the game ends."

She knew he was right but Elijah was not a game to her and she wasn't making any mistakes this time. She shook her heavy curls trapped on one side of her head today and smiled at him. "Will you take me to lunch? I want to walk down the streets of New Orleans by your side and make every woman jealous."  
"It would be my honor beautiful lady." he leaned over kissing her again.

This time she clasped his neck and answered the kiss with passion and making sure it was a very long one.

* * *

Caroline stormed inside his home, after a quick look she left the empty living room and went to look for him; she found a man standing next to a closed-door. "Is he in there?"  
The man frowned and cut her way as she tried opening the door to the house den.

"What are you doing?" she asked with no tolerance.  
"Please wait here while I go ask at what time he is available to see you."

Caroline lowered her chin and pierced him with a look, she startled him when she shouted Klaus' name. "KLAUS?" she yelled again under the concern of the man who tried to stop her screams.  
"Please stop that."

She prepared to shout again when Klaus opened the double doors. "What's with the shouting Caroline?" he asked with an edgy smile.  
"I need to talk to you." she answered in a snappy mood.

"Is there a chance it can wait two minutes love?"  
She raised her eyebrow demanding that he stopped being silly, she needed to talk to him and that's all he was getting from her.

Klaus looked back inside the den and a man came near the door.  
"I'll send word where the pack is camping later." Landon said and smiled at Caroline before leaving, obviously the girl was important and he didn't want to interrupt whatever vital matter was unfolding between the stunning blonde and Klaus.

Klaus went back inside the den waiting for Caroline to stroll her way inside and he faced her serious. "What could possibly be so infinitely urgent that has you so callously disrupting my careful plans to take over the world?"  
"You tagged a man to follow me and protect me blindly?" Everything still felt incredibly off as she repeated the words that were stuck inside her mind.

"He was supposed to be discrete." he simply answered.  
"Next time you decide to be all creepy keeper find someone less attractive." she snapped.

"I shall keep that in mind."  
Caroline made a loud aggravated sound. "No Klaus, you will not sire vampires to become my shadow and protect me, hot or ugly. Just no!"

"Don't be silly Caroline, Jesse is not a vampire, he is a hybrid."  
Caroline couldn't believe the natural way he was responding to this but the last information caught her undivided attention for now. "Hybrid?"

Klaus smiled crossing his arms. "Caroline, you didn't really think that I had only 12 hybrids left did you?"  
"That's why you didn't go after Katherine's blood…"

"Like any good Julius Cesar in history, I have a small army waiting for a chance to prove themselves to me."  
She switched to mad that fast and pointed her finger at him sternly. "You tell hybrid Jesse to leave me alone and to stop following me because I'm not happy with this."

"Point taken and gloriously dismissed." he said with a smile unfolding his arms and going for alcohol.  
"Klaus!" she gasped.

He growled under his breath as he fixed the drink. "Whether you want to admit or not, you are linked to me Caroline and I am at war to take back a city that used to be mine and now belongs to a rat that used to beg for my crumbs." he poured the drink harshly inside the glass. "Marcel is chasing every road that leads back to me…" he turned his head to face a silent Caroline. "… you've made my job easier by deciding to stay here but it changes very little."  
Caroline tensely played with her daylight ring. "There are other roads closer to you… shouldn't you be protecting those instead?" she gulped down after speaking, strangely her mouth was very dry.

"Shortcuts are nothing but that Caroline, secondary and always leading to the main road."  
"Maybe you should check that GPS... it has a few glitches." she mumbled facing a little away from him.

He smiled having his drink and watching her, Caroline for some stubborn reason now refused to look at him and instead looked around the room.  
When she slowly turned she found him staring at her and the air inside the room became almost too thick to be shared by both.

"How was your first day of college?"  
Caroline had a smile that she should not be showing him. "There were a couple of amazing lectures that really left me excited and impatient for more. There's a different vibe in here and that sort of reflects on the students and the professors."

"New Orleans is the perfect city to see you grow in every way Caroline, I look forward to witness it all."  
Caroline's eyes danced with his but then she deliciously smirked at him. "I also love how every guy in this city is extremely hot, so that will be fun to explore."

"Isn't Tyler the jealous type?" he followed her with his eyes as she walked away.  
She laughed by the double doors. "This is my fresh start Klaus, I'm starting over so that means, no boyfriend, no creepy infatuation." she warned him with her finger again. "No more small town Caroline, I'm spreading my wings and flying even if it means that I will fall flat on my face. But I'm doing this alone."

"The house you wanted became available this morning, you can move in whenever you wish, alone." he smiled revealing his dimples.  
Caroline narrowed her eyes at him angrily. "That's exactly why you don't have friends Klaus."

"I'm well aware that my sheer perfection leaves others unbalanced sweetheart." he grinned listening to her dry mocking laughter from the hall.

* * *

"What do you mean you won't help me anymore? Tyler…" Hayley tried keeping him on the line but he coldly hang up on her and she stared at the phone close to tears for the second time today.  
"I think you need this desperately." Katherine dangled a glass in front of her.

Hayley looked at her slowly reaching for the drink. "Will you run to tell Elijah that I'm having vodka?"  
Katherine shook her head with sweetness. "We all have our breaking points and I am only human now." she stroked Hayley's arm gently. "I know how much Rebekah can be a cruel bitch."

Hayley rested the drink over the hand wrapped in a bandage. "Thanks Katherine."  
The other woman simply smiled and Hayley took her drink almost shaking for the chance to finally have a decent taste of alcohol but she coughed everything as fast as the vodka mixed with wolfsbane reached her mouth.

Katherine coldly cupped her chin making her look up. "And I'm only sorry Rebekah didn't break any other bones Hayley because apparently you didn't listen when I told you to stay away from Elijah. Stick to the plan _moon-moon _and stop using Elijah's humanity to flirt your way into another plan that evidently wouldn't include me." she let go of Hayley's chin and went away cleaning her hands.  
Hayley dropped the glass on the floor harshly and grabbed her bag leaving the house fast.

* * *

Marcel listened to the detailed report of his vampire and moved near the desk he kept with very few things on top of it.  
"Marcel?" One of his men asked glancing to the others that looked as worried as he was.

"So Klaus wants war... I'll give him one, find Selene and bring her to me."  
They all looked at each other bewildered.

Marcel looked back because none of them moved. "What are you waiting for?"  
"Are you sure that you want us to bring her here?" One of them dared to ask.

Marcel pressed his lips and flipped the table in front of him furious. "Bring Leah to me, now." he added with a shout turning to see who dared to defy him and still stood there but they all knew better than to go against him.

* * *

"Here we are Klausy." Caroline said after she parked the car in front of the house.  
The little dog barked restless from the passenger seat ready to leave the car and go explore the new territory but so was his owner that quickly took him and placed him inside one of the boxes she retrieved from the back seat. Caroline smiled as she came closer to the house, it was perfect and exactly what she needed to start her new life.

She took the key and as she turned it in the door lock a big wave of excitement came over her, this was the start of something very new for her, for the first time she was willingly doing something alone.  
Caroline spun around once inside the empty house holding the box and beaming, this was amazing; slowly she left the box on the floor and Klausy jumped out immediately running around the new house and not waiting for Caroline that began to explore her new home.

She had seen the house on her way back to Mystic Falls the first time she was in New Orleans and somehow fell in love with it, it wasn't too big; it only had a few divisions and one floor. She wouldn't have too many neighbors unless she counted the ones in the cemetery just down the street. The house was white on the outside with a big black iron gate and behind doors the house was just wonderfully dark, she just couldn't explain it but she was drawn to the house and it was a blessing that it was still for sale when she decided to stay in New Orleans.

Caroline checked all rooms, she was in love with the kitchen that was very simple. She closed the fridge that was empty and headed for the balcony, Klausy was following her around and entangling between her feet so she picked him up and stroked his fur while opening the glass door. She had an amazing view as well and from where she stood, she found the real reason she was so pulled to this house; Caroline could see Klaus' mansion from here.

* * *

"She took all her things Damon…" Elena stood in the middle of the dorm perplexed. She looked at her boyfriend unable to process everything. "She's not taking my calls and now she cleaned our room without telling me. I don't understand what happened, how I ended up alone…"  
Damon nodded throwing a picture of Elena smiling with her friends on the bed. "I guess it doesn't count for much but I'm here Elena."

She quickly realized how harsh her words had been and shook her head. "It's not that Damon, it's Bonnie and Caroline leaving me."  
"Do you want to go after Caroline?"

She shook her head again but with conviction now. "No, I'll get a new roommate; someone human would be nice because I need to keep that in my life. I know Caroline, she won't last alone, she has always felt the need to be surrounded by a lot of people because she likes the attention and it has always been the three of us so with Bonnie gone, she will come back soon and I'll be right here waiting for her."  
"She's lucky to have a friend like you Elena…" Damon smiled and pulled her closer to him; she smiled enchanted and then surrendering to a long kiss.

* * *

Caroline unpacked the last box, she left the card box on the floor for Klausy to play with and took the picture of her big day as Miss Mystic Falls from inside the frame replacing it with the one she had of her and Bonnie as little kids. She left the frame on the empty table and nodded looking around the empty house, the only thing she had was a couch and a table and she couldn't be happier.

There was a knock on her front door which was unexpected but she wasn't that surprised to find Klaus at her doorstep with a smile. "Good evening sweetheart, apparently during the angry visit from this morning you forgot to mention that Marcel sent his vampires after you."  
She tapped her door trying to read him but his smile was gone and he was nothing but angry at her, she moved so he could come inside the house but he didn't move an inch; she could hear his breath quavering as he tried to steady everything about to explode inside of him.

Caroline left the threshold and grabbed the box freeing Klausy that gotten himself trapped under it. "I didn't find it important." she said leaving the box on the table.  
Klaus remained by the door, his hands behind his back and the tight dark shirt glued to a chest that wasn't moving.

Caroline folded the sleeves of her plaid buttoned up shirt and then touched her forehead, in that tell she had when she was anxious. "Can you please breathe? Because it's making me highly uncomfortable."  
"Marcel made his first move; it would have been nice to be kindly informed about it when you were at my house. This is not Mystic Falls Caroline."

Caroline acidly chuckled. "Really? Does that mean there is a small chance that I won't be tortured this week then?"  
He austerely sighed from the door but she defied him with a characteristic look before she crossed her arms waiting for his comeback.

"Not when it's under my power to prevent it."  
The conviction in his spoken words was as gut-wrenching as his expression and there was a wince from Caroline while she held tightly to the shirt under her hands.

"So from now on, I'll decide what's important since we can't agree on that." he coldly said and left her sight.  
Caroline narrowed her eyes with a low growl, she tried steadying her breath but it was coming in low irritated snarls so she grabbed a leather jacket fast. "I'll be right back Klausy."

The little dog looked up from his fight with the box and barked once shaking its tale.  
Caroline slammed her front door shut and rushed after Klaus. "We can't agree on anything why start now?"

Klaus walked away fast without answering her but she was right behind him.  
"Welcome to the diary of Caroline Forbes, day one; the university is really pretty and Klaus sent one of his power bunnies to follow me around." Caroline spoke loudly with a lot of hand gestures. "And the other bad guy that I don't even know took an interest in me, can anyone explain Karma to me? Because there are way too many bad guys after me."

Klaus stopped which made her stop before she bumped into him, she was fast recovering and stood before him with an attitude.  
"Us villains are attracted to all that goodness you have in you."

She blatantly laughed. "I know this one; it's the allure of darkness and all that nonsense."  
"Yes, I find it hilarious as well that when the town was under Silas' influence, Elena became even more incredibly tedious while you just went in the opposite direction and decided to play on my side of the fence."

She glared him with a low, long breath. "And I would have dealt with Larcel's men so take your hybrid slave and keep him away from me. I do not need your protection Klaus." She spread her arms apart before going around him.  
Klaus tried to tame his laughter but it just crawled his way out of him and he began to laugh which obviously only further made her angrier.

"Stop laughing right now Klaus." she turned upset.  
"I'm sorry love, but his name is Marcel."

She shrugged. "Marcel, Larcel… whatever, I don't care."  
"Why are you so upset Caroline?" he buried the laughter that still tickled his throat.

"Because you are treating me like a defenseless imbecile." she wasn't thinking and pushed him away, of course that he barely budged but she was really mad. "You never did that before, in fact you simply grabbed a hot coat and left town without caring if you would see me again. You couldn't be bothered to waste 30 seconds of your time to think about me and the friend I couldn't save in the end."  
"Caroline..." he whispered reaching for her hands as fast as she realized everything that she just told him.

Caroline pushed him away again struggling with the horrible truth. "Everyone leaves, everyone dies..." she was on the verge of breaking down without even acknowledging how powerless he felt but her self-control was just that amazing and she pushed all that quiet pandemonium about to break loose deep down inside of her and looked at him composed. "But I'm still here."

How could this young creature who hadn't even lived two decades be so alike him? And he knew how strong she had to be in order to keep under control all of that agony without using her vampire abilities.  
"You are a survivor Caroline but you are wrong..."

Caroline frowned disappointed with his chosen words.  
There wasn't even a glimpse of a smile now as he carried on. "I'm tackling one too many things at the moment love but I knew what I was leaving behind the first time I left Mystic Falls."

Wouldn't it be wonderful if she had a beating heart? Just so she could hear it skip a beat just this once. "A bunch of really pretty waterfalls?" she whispered.

"I'm working with a witch that owns a coven that could literally bring this entire city to the ground and I can't trust a word that leaves her mouth. I had a meeting with a werewolf pack leader that insists on showing me what a real pack is and I have no notion of what he's speaking off. I'm at odds with my older brother that has gotten into his thick skull that I will care more about an abomination that I will care about him or any of my siblings that are the only type of love I have ever known. Then there's Marcel standing between my chance to bring Kol back and the witches capable of doing it."

"It sounds like you need a break." she said keeping her eyes on his face that broke down to a vulnerability that wasn't new to her.  
His smile was depleted. "To say I'm tired like you conveyed so perfectly in your speech the other day would be an understatement because I haven't taken a breath in a very long time, if I'm to put aside the ones you took away."

Caroline needed to move and most importantly take her hands away from his chest, the ones he had been gently holding since she pushed him away. "I'm a fixer Klaus, that's what I do. I fix everything around me and everyone and I do it all the time to forget that I can't be fixed and then you say things like that and I remember the panic I felt when my father was torturing me…" she looked down with tears dancing in her eyes and partnering his agony. "… because I didn't want to be fixed." The glistening blue eyes searched his. "I liked who I was and didn't want to change that and you were the first to see that."

"I see a lot of things sweetheart but you aren't blind to all that I try to keep to myself either."  
"I think I have been tortured one too many times because I can't remember why I hated you anymore." Caroline flicked her eyes to his lips but quickly looked away.

"Can we shift our odds for once Caroline and agree entirely on something tonight?" he spoke taken by how ivory was her complexion and how soft it was, he wished nothing else but to caress it with his hand and get his fingers knotted with her wavy hair.  
She chuckled pulling back her tears and her hands away from his. "This should be good."

"All the answers of the world sound terribly easier when they are served with wine, food and music."  
Caroline rolled her eyes but still smiled. "Are you talking about dinner?"

"Royal Street awaits us." he took her shoulders and turned her towards the right direction.  
She sighed easily giving in. "I'm starving but if I knew that you were taking me to dinner I would have changed."

He looked at the sexy shirt under the leather jacket, tugged perfectly around her body and the biker leather pants inside the black boots without a clue of what she was talking about.  
"I'm wearing plaid Nik." she gave him an appalled look and crossed the street shaking her head.

Like a tide stirring up all of his emotions, Klaus had to fight to tame down all that she evoked by merely calling him that.  
"Are you coming? Because I don't have any money on me." she said from the other side of the street absolutely oblivious to the mayhem she just caused inside of him.

* * *

Sophie rushed to the back alley; she lowered her head to cover herself a little more, she looked back making sure no one was following her. "Be quick about it, what do you want?"  
Hayley felt as wrecked as she sounded. "I need you to undo whatever spell your sister made before she died."

Sophie looked back once more before speaking. "What are you talking about? She made a spell to prove that the baby was from Klaus."  
Hayley held her broken hand. "No, she made a spell to link the baby to the Original bloodline but Klaus is not the father of this baby."

Sophie's jaw dropped as the shock hit her.

* * *

**Soundtrack: **

Brand New Me - _Alicia Keys _

Gimme Shelter - _The Rolling Stones_

All I Want - _Kodaline_


	12. A day in the life of Caroline Forbes

"You eat a lot…" Klaus said actually surprised.  
Caroline looked at the fried New Orleans speciality in her hand that she couldn't remember the name. "It's just a little after dinner snack."

He laughed because Caroline tried half the menu back at the restaurant. "I wouldn't have guessed it but it was a nice surprise."  
"That I eat so much…" She threw the rest of her food into the nearest garbage can afraid she was coming out of tonight with a damaged image. "… or dinner?"

Klaus had a big smile and looked up from the sidewalk. "You are a wonderful company Caroline."  
"So I didn't bore you with my endless questions about the Renascence?"

"The questions were very critical and straight to the point, you knew exactly what to ask." He said with a serious expression.  
"And you answered with gory details about all the famous deaths that happened during that time." She sighed loudly.

"Did you like my accuracy?" He asked teasing her because he was terribly amused at all the repulsed faces she pulled throughout dinner, so much that half way through the night he started adding gruesome details to everything just so he could see her adorably grunt and beg him to stop.  
"It's a night I will never forget." She pressed her chest with a fake emotional face.

"I know I won't." He said with a genuine smile and stopping in front of the iron gate of her house. "Returning the lady back home unharmed and safe."  
She slowly opened the gate. "And at dawn, my classes start in two hours or so."

"I will leave you to have some rest then before you go conquer the world with all your questions." He gracefully bowed his head with a delectable smile. "I on the other hand can't afford the rest, I have a very hectic day ahead of me."  
"No rest for the wicked." She closed the gate but lingered there, stretching her long night with him just a tiny bit more. "Are you really going after a way to bring Kol back?"

"I'm fairly certain that I will trap him inside a coffin as soon as he gets back but I'm doing everything under my power to at least try it."  
Caroline played with one of the spears on her iron gate. "Why?" She asked him quietly and as if the tiny word was as powerful as him.

"Perhaps one day I'll tell you about the goriest death of them all, the one that has plagued me for so many centuries."  
Caroline gripped the iron cursing that it was now between them and that she caught a small glistening sparkle in his blue eyes before he walked away.

* * *

Caroline woke with Klausy lying on a pillow and looking at her with his head resting on the tiny paws, she stretched her arms with a loud sound. "Is it time already Klausy?"  
The dog raised his head watching her as she sat on the bed checking the watch.

"I should not be going out on a school night." She pouted unhappy she only got to sleep for an hour.  
Klausy rested his head back on the pillow and kept his black eyes on her.

"Don't look at me like that, nothing happened, it was just dinner with a lot of food and really good wine." She reached for her phone grimacing at once. "Yeah… like that's going to happen." She mumbled immediately deleting Damon's message demanding that she returned his numerous missed calls.  
Caroline looked at the bed again and smiled at Klausy, she stroked his head and then poked his nose. "I need to find you some company but for now I have to get ready for school."

Caroline jumped from the bed and searched for a radio station on her phone quickly settling for a sexy tune that talked about forbidden feelings and skipping heartbeats but she ignored the way the Universe was speaking to her, advising her to go back to Mystic Falls and stay away from the big bad hybrid. Well, that wasn't happening today.  
Caroline went through her sexy tops and chose the white one that looked perfect over the skinny jeans, she complimented the look with her brown boots and the leather jacket.

When she opened the door of her bedroom Klausy shot like a bullet from the bed following her, she prepared him breakfast and then left the house headed for college.  
It was such a beautiful sunny day that she walked down the street humming and expecting not to get lost too many times. Of course that she was a girl of very high expectations and quickly realized she was lost barely 15 minutes after leaving her home.

* * *

She excused herself in whispers and apologized until she finally reached her seat in the darkness, by now she already missed half the lecture but she did her best to focus.  
Like she did for the rest of the morning and she actually managed to get on time to the rest of her classes, the only urgh moment for her was when she spotted Jesse that waved at her from the big auditorium during Sociology.  
The only greeting he got from her was a scowl that magically made him disappear from her sight during the rest of her morning.

* * *

Rebekah closed her bag and looked up when she heard the front door close, she wasn't expecting company and obviously it wasn't the face of Caroline that she was expecting to see so both blondes just looked at each other for a long minute.  
"Nik is not here, he is spending the day with wolves." Rebekah told Caroline knowing why she was here.

"I know… he mentioned that you were doing a few errands today." Caroline awkwardly smiled.  
Rebekah took the bag from the table and smiled as well but it was such a different cunning smile that Caroline frowned instantly. "Are you offering to go with me?"

Caroline took her time answering which wasn't a good way to dodge Rebekah. "I have homework so I have to get back early…"  
She wasn't a bit convincing and Rebekah's smile became a grin. "I have to go to one of the places where Kol spent most of his time when he was in New Orleans, knowing my brother I would be less uncomfortable if I had company."

"If it will make you uncomfortable, what will it make me?" Caroline asked with a worried expression.  
"Forget it Caroline, I can do it alone." Rebekah quickly gave up on the smile and walked to the door.

Caroline twisted her lips looking at Rebekah as the Original went past her. "Is this errand really a part of the plan to bring Kol back?"  
The other blonde stopped by the open door. "Yes, have you decided if you are going to help us?"

"I don't know the plan so how can I even decide if I want to help you?"  
"The plan is to create a perfect expression triangle and open the gates of hell, heave Kol away from his flirting with the demon ladies and keep him here with us."

It sounded so easy and simple but Caroline wrinkled her nose. "But he died in Mystic Falls, wouldn't we have to make the triangle there?"  
"Nik told me that the day the veil was lifted back in Mystic Falls he was here and many ghosts were seen walking around among the living."

Caroline gasped following Rebekah quickly processing the information. "Are you saying that the veil was lifted everywhere around the world?"  
"Nik mentioned something about arithmetic or something…" Rebekah flipped her long braid behind her back. "It's hard keeping up with my brother sometimes."

"No…" Caroline stopped thoughtful in the driveway. "It would make sense if New Orleans is part of a bigger triangle, then when we did all that back in Mystic Falls it reflected here as well. Which means if we…" She moved her hands energetically urging Rebekah to join in.

"Do a bit of arithmetic here it will open a door back home?"  
Caroline beamed opening her hands with joy.

Rebekah circled the air with her hand. "You and Nik both have that annoying _know it all_ vibe. How incredibly adorable." She dropped and turned her back on Caroline leaving the driveway.  
Caroline moved her head from side to side behind Rebekah. "Whatever." She mouthed.

* * *

"This is not exactly the flamboyant outcome I expected." Rebekah said with a big sulk as she faced a grey old door.  
"Are you sure you got the right address?" Caroline asked the obvious.

Rebekah nodded knocking on the door. "Kol was here just a few months ago and someone in here has a name for me."  
The door opened up to reveal a beautiful girl in a tight short dress. "Welcome to **Lust**."

Caroline and Rebekah looked at each other before going inside, as they were led through the narrow hall, the sexy sleek music began to sound louder and they both froze when they reached the main area of the concealed Club.  
Girls wearing nothing but tiny revealing lingerie and boys with briefs were either dancing on top of low tables or serving glasses filled with either alcohol or blood; there was a nice crowd of clients that both blondes easily assumed to be vampires and the surprise look was shared by both.

"Are we… in a… vampire brothel?" Caroline ventured in a very low voice.  
"That or where fishy eyes works…" Rebekah smirked proud of her joke, she looked at Caroline happy when the other burst into laughter.

One that easily was silenced replaced by a terrorized look when a very handsome boy pulled Caroline's hand, she shook her head but he winked at her and brushed her chin. Panic was a very real possibility and she looked for Rebekah that didn't look that bothered as another boy pulled her along the Club.  
They were seated on a red couch and flinched at the same time as the boys started dancing on top of a table for them.

"What is even happening right now?" Caroline asked in a daze.  
"I'm not sure but I sort of want to benefit from it?" Rebekah asked unsure but keeping her eyes on the boy smiling at her while moving his hips to the sound of the sex toned song.

Caroline shielded her eyes from the one in front of her with distracting nipple piercings. "I used to organize the annual fundraising for the Mystic Falls church." She whispered at Rebekah that chuckled but leaned over wanting to touch her eye-candy.  
Caroline closed her eyes for a second before taking a deep breath and facing her dancer, this shouldn't be that hard to handle; he was doing some really shady stuff with his body and she raised her eyebrow when he danced with his back on her. "Weren't you meeting someone?" Caroline hastily looked at Rebekah covering her face from the boy now shaking things that she definitely didn't want to see let alone shaken.

"Umhum…" Rebekah said flirting with her dancer.  
"Weren't you dating Matt?" Caroline asked praying that her private dancer kept his clothes on.

Rebekah faced her losing the cool stance for a bit. "We had a threesome in Prague with another woman, everything was perfect then but we got back home and he got all serious and driven by morals; and I was the summer fling and Elena was the good saint that he wanted instead."  
Caroline sadly smiled. "I'm sorry Rebekah, Matt is the sweetest boy but every girl falls short in comparison to Elena. He never really moved on from her and he doesn't see how mean he can be to everyone else because of it."

"I'm over it Caroline. I'm in a city that requires no compulsion to have fun so I intend to forget about Matt and enjoy everything the city has to offer."  
Caroline nodded impressed. "That's the spirit. You deserve better." She said sincerely.

"Do you want my dancer?" Rebekah pointed in front of her.  
"No, I'm fine." Caroline smiled.

"Sold to the beautiful Original then." Rebekah smirked and stood up taking the hand of the dancer. She went away with her dancer leaving Caroline behind battling a serious nervous fit as the boy in front her stepped down from the table and sweetly smiled at her.  
"Would you like a private dance as well?"

"No." Caroline shook her head. "Keep your privates away from me."  
"I'm here to please you, I'm allowed to give you blood as well." He easily said.

Caroline stood up trying to move away from him. "I'll just go mingle or something."  
"Maybe you would prefer a girl?" He signalled a really attractive girl over to them.

Caroline managed to get away from them and rushed to the exit, she only stopped when she was finally outside. At least now she was out of the surreal situation but she wasn't sure about leaving Rebekah behind since they came together so after a little deliberation Caroline decided to wait for Rebekah and nothing better to keep her entertained than calling the brother that sounded happy to hear her voice.  
_  
_

"My day turned slightly out of the ordinary, I'm standing outside a strip Club that your dead brother founded, I'm sure, and where your baby sister is doing private activities. Is this a good time to tell you all about my very catholic upbringing?" Caroline asked pacing around the little alley.  
The big laughter from Klaus made her smile and relax a little. _"It's as good as any other time sweetheart but why are you so scared?"_

"I'm not scared but I'm not exactly sure how being uncomfortably close to being offered a lap dance is part of my growth path."  
_"You should try everything in life at least once."_

"Fine, I'm going back inside." She grumbled.  
_"So have you decided to help us then?"  
_  
She chuckled because of his subtle way to keep the conversation going. "I don't know much of your master plan to agree on anything just yet."  
_"I'll tell you all about it over dinner."  
_  
Caroline fondled with her earring. "I have homework, I can't have dinner today."  
She all but imagined his smile as he answered her. _"I could eat while you make all the questions. It works for me."_

Rebekah came out of the Club and smiled at her; Caroline couldn't keep stalling for an answer and murmured into the call slightly turning away from the sister taking every detail. "Call me when you get back."

The way she ended the call without further delay left Rebekah very suspicious but she deliciously kept the hint of something growing between Caroline and Klaus to herself. "I got a name for Nik." She typed it quickly into a message.  
"I need a drink that is served by full clothed people." Caroline searched her bag for the card Camille gave her, she smiled when she found it. "Do you know where that is?"

* * *

Caroline couldn't be happier with the Bar, it was strangely full for this hour of the day and they had live music which was really nice. The girl behind the counter took the money from someone but stopped on her way to smile at Caroline happy to see her. "Hey, you found us."  
Caroline immediately tilted her head to Rebekah. "She did, I got lost just following her."

Camille laughed and glanced to Rebekah that had a strange smile, like she knew exactly who Camille was and that was such an uneven feeling. "What will it be?" She asked the Original that sat on a stool holding that uncanny feel between them.  
"Anything strong and expensive, you can put it on Marcel's tab."

Camille clicked the glasses she was holding together unable to keep her shaky hand steady. "He doesn't like paying for his drinks."  
"Does he pay for his blondes?" Rebekah acidly asked.

Camille left one of the most expensive bottles on the counter and pulled her way through a smile. "I wouldn't know, I haven't sold myself yet."  
"How honourable of you." Rebekah slightly pursed her lips and winked at Camille.

The girl was extremely uncomfortable and left to attend other costumers.  
"What is it with you Originals and unfinished history?" Caroline asked taking her jacket off.

"Too much time on our hands." Rebekah filled the glasses with a beautiful hazel Scotch.  
Caroline licked her lips after tasting the drink. "But you do have really good taste."

Rebekah smiled holding her drink in the air. "Cheers to that."  
Caroline made a toast, she had nothing on her mind but the tempting idea of getting really wasted and having fun for once.

* * *

"Hey Camille, we need another bottle here." Rebekah asked without looking at the girl.  
Camille went around back to get a few more bottles finding Sophie on a crying mood. "What is it?"

Sophie lowered her head crying into the food she was making. "Nothing…"  
"I know you." Camille said closing the door on the big noise coming from the bar, the two blondes had been dispatching bottle after bottle while laughing loudly and occasionally singing along with the band. They were definitely drawing a lot of attention but Camille was worried about her friend in such a reverse mood.

Sophie's tears fell into the food so it was a good time to stop; she stepped back and cleaned her face. "My sister did something really awful and dangerous. Something that has sealed all our fates Camille, nothing in New Orleans will ever be the same."  
"It hasn't been for quite some time now Sophie…" The blonde sweetly stroked her arm.

Sophie had a condemned look about herself that she didn't hide as she rested her hand over Camille's. "Klaus will kill us all when he finds out and the ones he will miss are going to be beheaded by Marcel." Camille tensed and tried to retrieve her hand but Sophie held it harder. "Get away from him Cami… that charming smile of his hides nothing but death."  
"I have costumers to see to." She whispered breaking free from Sophie and grabbing a couple of bottles that she quickly took outside.

Camille was shaken but it was proving to be one of those troubling days and she offered her best smile at the blondes that now danced near their stools.  
Rebekah lazily dropped her long braid that she had been holding up while dancing and sat on the stool inspecting Camille carefully. "I bet you are this really nice and innocent girl, he has a type you know?"

"I don't have anything with Marcel and even if I did, I don't see what gives you the right to think it's somehow your business."  
"I was the one that convinced my brother to turn Marcel, you could say that there's a connection between us."

"I could but I'm not." Camille harshly left the other bottle on the counter and turned her back on Rebekah.  
She laughed amused and turned to hand Caroline one of the bottles but the baby vampire was gone. "Well that was rude." She grumbled having a sip from her Scotch.

* * *

"Are you really a music producer?" The girl asked fondling with her hair nervously now that they were alone outside the bar.  
"Of course I am." The attractive man said with a sly smile.

The girl fretfully smiled, she was becoming worried that she might have made a bad move here. "Maybe we could go back inside…"  
He barely moved but still it was enough to cut her way and his hand was already stroking her cheek. "I like it here, no one can see us." His eyes showed a glimpse of red and she froze.

"You are one of them aren't you?" She whispered scared.  
"It wasn't important when you were moving that nice little body just a few minutes ago, trying to get my attention… you have it now." He leaned over to kiss her.

She stopped him with her hands pressing his chest. "I changed my mind." She said close to tears.  
"Too late." He snarled and dropped his fangs grabbing her by the hair, tilting her head enough to a harsh bite.

"No…"She uselessly tried to fight him.  
He pulled her hair harder and she cried horrified remembering all the advices she disregarded about Marcel's men but just as she prepared for the horrible pain there was a gentle gasp from him and he blankly looked at her before letting her hair go. She stumbled confused as his skin began to dry and turn grey, she fought with a scream but still held it in as he fell on his face with a piece of wood sticking from his back; the girl numbly looked up to a beautiful blonde coldly looking at the vampire she just killed.

"No means no." She rolled him over with her foot making sure he was dead.  
"Who are you?" The girl staggered the perplexed words out.

Caroline smiled and gently held the girl's shoulders. "Are you ok?" The girl crumbled into tears again and Caroline warmly hugged her. "It will be ok, everything will be ok, it wasn't your fault… you just didn't know."  
"Actually she did, everyone knows who we are and you just made a very stupid mistake."

Caroline felt the girl tense when the deep voice echoed behind them and Caroline looked back to find a very big black man. He was obviously upset that she just killed the perv vampire but she looked at the girl smiling sweetly at her. "Go home and stay away from music producers from now on."  
The girl nodded running away fast, when another vampire tried to follow her, Caroline tackled him against the wall grabbing the stake she used on the other one and resting it against his face.

He chuckled looking at Marcel that nodded with a big smile ordering him to remain still.  
"My Lord, the town has a new hero, a pretty one if I might add." Marcel looked at his men with a loud laughter.

Caroline moved away from the vampire taking two steps back so she could face them all. "Larcel?" She mockingly asked clutching the improvised stake in her hand.  
He gave her a playful look. "You know better than that. I'm Marcel Gerard, king of New Orleans." He smugly introduced himself and spread his arms as wide as his ego would go.

"I'd be ashamed to call such a rotten kingdom my own."  
"Well I like it." He sneered sizing her.

"A bunch of sick vampires that feed on innocent women while using fear to get them submissive? If they are created under your image, you are a really lame king."  
"Uh." Marcel constricted his lips into an evil pout and narrowed his eyes. "So fast and sharp with a tongue but if you are counting on my good will because you are under Niklaus' protection we might have a bigger problem."

Caroline adorably shook her curls as she looked around. "I don't see Klaus anywhere and I'm not the one standing with a pathetic little army behind my back like a thug that probably uses compulsion to get his way with women."  
"Assumption is a petty deed Caroline."

She laughed easily. "So is trying to outcome someone you will never be." She spotted the doubt crossing his eyes and ended the thought for him. "He made you, he probably took a little man who never had anything and when given the chance to pay for his food you went all high and mighty, you created this little fantasy world where everything is conquered by fear and you walk around with a big ego believing that this is all unique and marvellous but beneath everything that shines rests what you are trying to hide. An insecure vampire that smiles all the time to hide the sad little truth, you will never hold half the power Klaus has because it takes a hell lot more than smiles and a few pervs sired to you to actually be respected and truly feared." She dropped the stake on the ground not caring about the sad man surely finding her words hard to swallow.

He did however surprise her when he called her with a calm voice. "I'm throwing a Masquerade Ball at the end of the week, I would love to see you there. I always like showing what I'm capable off instead of speaking about it."  
Caroline straightened a few golden locks. "I hope the champagne is worth it." She said with an intriguing attitude before walking away confident.

* * *

She could hear Klausy barking inside the house while she juggled the big bag of grocery and the key that stubbornly wouldn't go in. "I'm coming little one..." She mumbled finally getting inside the house.  
Klausy began to jump trying to reach the bag and she had to be careful not to stumble on him as he excitedly tried to jump high enough to reach her.

She dropped everything on the table and checked the phone signalling her a new message, she smiled with the answer she just got but now she had to hurry, she didn't have much time.  
Klausy followed her to the bedroom instantly burying himself under the pile of clothes she just left on the floor while she jumped into the shower. He startled when she came back wrapped in a towel and picking him up, straightening his mess but now that he wasn't allowed to roll around under her clothes he shoved his head under the pillow that smelled like her.

Caroline zipped the cute summer dress and picked her hair up in a high ponytail leaving a few locks loosen, she laced a beautiful green ribbon around the hair band letting the ends of the ribbon mix with her long hair; she managed to do everything in a record time and was just leaving the coffee on the table when there was a knock on the door.  
She still sneaked in one last shake of her wet hair before she reached the door and greeted him with a happy smile. "Hi." She said with a tired sigh, it had been such a long day since he dropped her home at dawn.

"Hello sweetheart, I see you are not wearing your superwoman outfit..." He smiled loving the way the pale green looked against her skin.  
"News travel fast." Her shoulders gave in a little.

"I was invited to the same Grand Masquerade Ball that you were and Marcel kindly told me about the dashing vampire defending the defenceless that he encountered today."  
Klaus didn't sound upset about her adventures, in fact he sounded even proud of her and Caroline tapped the floor beneath her flat shoes trying to make sense of it. "I had to do something, one of his vampires was going to use some poor girl for everything he wanted and probably kill her or just make her forget about it once he was done with her."

"I assumed you wouldn't engage a war with Marcel lightly."  
The nagging thought that she hated him for knowing her so well made way to her mind but she wasn't about to let that put a damper in anything and she melted into a very cute smile. "But that's not why I asked you to come by."

Klaus smiled curious as he raised his eyes a little while leaving his chin low. "Was I summon to prepare strategies against our common enemy or to hand you my color choice for the suit I will be wearing so that we don't clash at the Ball?"  
"I'm going to be your plus one?" She asked near a shock.

"If we are going to be served to the wolves, you should have the first one by your side."  
Caroline took a long look at the man wearing a slick dark shirt that appeared to silk the words he spoke as well. "I'm choosing everything from the suit to the tie you will be wearing so that we match and cause a grand impression." She circled her head perfectly ending it with a smile. "And you are paying for my dress."

"I can barely hold my excitement." He tried to sound serious but she laughed knowing he was already counting the minutes.  
She moved aside holding the door. "Come inside, I made breakfast for us."

Klaus took his time before stepping inside the house, Caroline closed the door and then took the lead towards the table filled with a lot of fruits and bread, coffee and juice.  
"Are you sure we have enough food just for the two of us?"

She played with her ribbon. "I didn't know what you liked so..." She shrugged.  
They sat down and though the first seconds were somewhat awkward, they easily fell into a easiness that was eating its way fast into their friendship.

"How was your day?" She asked him sipping from the really big mug with black coffee.  
"I visited a clan, chased a few of Marcel's men just for the fun of seeing them shriek and traced the name of the man Rebekah retrieved today to a powerful shaman related to the Deveraux sisters." He neared the grapes closer to him.

Caroline watched him eat without a single hurry in the world and her eyes danced between the fingers that played with the grapes to the lips that smiled plunging her eyes to his and where she stayed while drinking her coffee.  
"How about yours sweetheart?"

"I've done so many things today that I lost track but I did them all for myself and because I wanted to do them and not because I felt obliged to do it to help someone else... and it was really awesome." She happily admitted.  
"Is that what we are celebrating?" He sipped on his coffee.

Caroline moved her eyes to the table full of so many things they wouldn't even touch. "We are celebrating my independence and I thought it was fitting to share it with the one that nagged me during all summer to get a dorm just for myself and to attend every party I could."

Klaus twirled the rest of the coffee inside his mug and licked his lips slowly without lifting his eyes from the black beverage. "Since we are tumbling a few milestones here Caroline, indulge me in one thing." He was stern in his voice but there was no barrier between them, when Klaus faced her there was nothing standing in the middle of them.

If she took that small terrifying step she would be able to reach out and actually touch him, she would trace his strong but tired features and try to ease some of that overwhelming pain that he carried with him like one of his necklaces; and as scary as it was to know he wouldn't stop her from doing what no one ever did, the really scary part was that she really wanted to do it.  
"What is it Nik?"

The low sweet voice was like a perfect blade that made him bleed. "Tell me everything that Damon did before you were turned."  
Caroline leaned over a bit in her chair resting the mug on the table, she couldn't do it. She couldn't hand him all that pain she had locked up inside of her without taking some of his away as well. Slowly Caroline nodded. "Ok, I'll tell you all about Damon if you tell me about Henrik and how you watched him die."

Klaus broke the intense stare between them, there was a faint tremble that he forcefully got a hold of but he wasn't able to hide the twinkle of a million emotions that gripped his throat like he was still human and needed air to survive and Caroline caught all that humanity just there at her reach and she had one second to decide what she was going to do about it.  
Caroline reached out and grabbed his hand before he took that chance away from her and even if he didn't find the strength she so easily shattered to look her in the eye, he closed his hand around her fingers holding on to her and to everything she meant to him.

* * *

**Soundtrack:**

Boom - _Anjulie _

Give it to me right - _Melanie Fiona _

Cut - _Plumb _


	13. Dancing in the dark

**Mystic Falls **

"I've been calling you nonstop, what took you so long to return my calls?" Damon snapped slamming the door of his car shut.  
_"I didn't want to talk to you."_

The carefree tone from Caroline took him a bit off guard and Damon stopped in front of the door of the boarding house with a sneer he did not hold back on her. "Do you have any idea what your little stupid runaway moment did to Elena? She was a mess because you decided to pack everything and abandon her."  
_"She has you now Damon, why don't you give college a try? Do that for your girlfriend and leave me alone."_

"When did you get so insolent?" Damon asked opening the door but without going inside the house. "Drop the act and go back to Whitmore, Elena needs you."  
_"I'm not sired to you Damon." _

He closed his eyes furious. "But it's still my blood that runs to that stupid little shallow head of yours Caroline and we should hold on to that small improvement as a sign that I know what's best for you."  
_"I don't want to go back and you will not tell me what to do Damon. That Caroline doesn't exist anymore."_

He laughed disdainfully. "Actually you are still the little sad pathetic girl jealous of Elena and everything she has."  
_"She chose you Damon, her standards have obviously dropped drastically."_

Caroline ended the call leaving him taken aback by it, Damon pushed the door so he could go inside but his mood improved when he heard the sexy music.  
"I like surprise visits Elena, they mean that you can't stay away from me and that really makes my ego very happy." he went up the stairs following the music that came from his bedroom.

He smiled hugely when he found her dancing around in her underwear but the shock of finding Klaus sitting on his bed having a drink and watching the show made him freeze.  
"I'm a big fan of surprises as well." Klaus darkly smiled at Damon.

* * *

"Be careful." Bonnie begged Jeremy.  
"Don't worry about me, I was a hunter once." he made a silly joke just to ease her a bit.

Bonnie smiled but she was really worried. "The spell I made gives you 24 hours free from Silas' compulsion or his ability to read minds. During a day, he can't read your mind but he can read everyone else's so be careful about who you take with you."  
"I know just the right man for the job." Jeremy tried touching her face but he couldn't feel anything and she quickly got away from his touch.

"We shouldn't waste any time Jer."  
"Well if I die, we will be together again." he shrugged.

"Don't even joke about that Jeremy, it's not funny." she angrily glared him.  
He chuckled and stroked her face again. "I miss doing this for real so I'm not trying to be funny, I just really miss you Bonnie."

"I was alive and you couldn't see me, now that I'm dead you can see me but you can't touch me. It's not even ironic, just sad." she vanished from his sight before he saw her close to tears.  
Bonnie showed up outside her house, she had to warn her father somehow; maybe she could leave him a message on the TV like she did with Tyler. His car was in the driveway so she knew he was home and went inside looking for him.

"Dad!" Bonnie yelled when she found the Mayor on the floor of the den bleeding from a slit throat. "DAD!" she shook him foolishly refusing to believe that he was dead. "Please don't be dead…" she whispered stroking his face.  
Bonnie screamed enraged when her bloodied hands left no mark on his face, she couldn't even properly touch him and her tears came with force, in a mix of rage and sadness she yelled as loud as she could. "SILAS."

"Did you call?" Silas spoke from the desk, appearing on the chair and with a sadist smile.  
Bonnie tamed her tears and scowled him with fury. "Is this another warning?"

"No, I really killed him this time because you have been misbehaving my little brave one. You got in the way of my quality time with Caroline and then you performed a location spell to track Stefan. Thoughtless acts have terrible consequences Bonnie."  
Bonnie felt her power building up inside of her and reaching the tip of her fingertips, there was a loud howl from her as the anger took over and everything around them moved. Glass exploded, books fell as the furniture tumbled down and Bonnie stood up facing Silas with something taking over her, she leaned her head a bit to the side and the desk moved trapping Silas against the wall.

"You can do better than that." he poked her anger further.  
Bonnie felt her power expanding and then covering her completely but like a pitch black force it also slowly took over her thoughts and then her actions, she looked down on her hand but she didn't recognize it as her own. Bit by bit Bonnie lost control of her memories and she was simply pushed into an agonizing small corner in her mind, where everything was numb and confining. She knew she was screaming but there was no noise leaving her throat and then there was nothing but darkness.

He smiled and easily flipped the desk matching her power and freeing himself from her hold. "Do you feel it?"  
"I am covered in darkness because we all came from it." Her voice was cold and with an ancient taste, no memories of who she really was or where she was. "And darkness I will become."

"Are you ready now to embrace the black magic in you?" Silas asked serious and analyzing every subtle move she made.  
"I am ready to kill you Silas." A very eerie smile came across her face and when she moved her hand in the air it was like she was pushing an annoying fly away but instead it was Silas that was thrown in the air and slammed against the wall, cracking it open as he smashed hard against it.

She left the den and as she walked to the front door everything around her exploded because of her raw energy, she moved her hand and the door was open for her. Bonnie smiled reaching the sunny warm day, it was a great day to start practicing the black arts.

* * *

"Elena…" Damon called for the brunette completely ignorant to him and giving a sexy show to Klaus.  
The Original had his drink nonchalantly, there was a small nod from him and two hybrids flashed to Damon keeping him down, he tried to fight them and he would have done a sufficient job if it wasn't for the third hybrid stopping near Elena.

Damon froze when she started giggling and dancing with the hybrid.  
"Elena sweetheart, you are distracted." Klaus simply said.

The girl became serious and looked at the man sitting with his legs crossed and a tilted head warning her. "I'm sorry Klaus…"  
"Ummm… it's all right." he tapped the bed next to him and motioned her to come to him.

Elena smiled and sat next to him while Damon wriggled his way out of the power lock the hybrids had him trapped. "Klaus… I swear if you…" he couldn't even end it.  
Klaus lifted his gaze to Damon with a quiet fury, then he smiled and cupped Elena's chin. "I'm hungry."

She quietly laughed like he was being silly and took the glass from his hand; she sank her fangs into her wrist and filled the glass for him with her blood.  
"Thank you my lovely." he made an extra loud sound pleased with the blood and showed his glass to Damon. "She has always been a very sweet meal."

"I'm going to kill you for this." Damon growled at him.  
"You are quite the repetitive fella…" Klaus dropped the glass on the nightstand. "But one can only expect so much from someone who clearly lacks the intelligence to do any better than the average slapstick comedian vampire."

Elena looked at both vampires absolutely clueless and frowned a bit when Klaus ran the back of his index along her naked arm.  
"Do you like me Elena?" Klaus asked in a very seductive voice.

"I despise you." she answered compelled.  
"Are you frightened?"

"Yes." she spoke in a whisper and close to tears.  
Klaus cupped her cheek. "I could have sex with you. I could have it for as long as I pleased and when I was satisfied I would feed from you and decide if you were worthy of a quick death, based purely on how I felt after I had no use for you anymore."

Her tears silently streamed down her face and she looked at Damon, he was in pain and with an agony that Klaus instigated with every second he allowed the doubt to grow inside of him.  
At last Klaus gracefully left the bed and came to Damon, he looked down on him as the hybrids made him knelt before Klaus. "How does it feel to be entirely powerless?"

Damon kept his eyes on Klaus with anger but Klaus easily dismissed it by ordering his hybrids to let Damon go, the vampire straightened up to stand up to Klaus.  
"Here we are, man to man, vampire to vampire, despicable ones that shouldn't be allowed any shred of happiness because we simply strive on making everyone around us miserable."

"Is this because of…"  
Klaus narrowed his lips and eyes making a shushing sound like he couldn't even handle having her name leaving Damon's unworthy lips. "I could do so many things to you and my former doppelganger but in the end… you would just be a glorious waste of my time."

Damon went to the bed as soon as Klaus left with his hybrids and took a crying Elena into his arms; he wasn't sure who was shaking the most, her or him.

* * *

**New Orleans**

"Caroline Forbes." The professor read the name on the sheet.  
"That's me." Caroline said reaching out for her first graded essay, she smiled really happy with the high-grade she got.

"Nice dissertation Miss Forbes, I like your refreshing way of describing things." The professor said trying to capture her face for further memory, this one was a standout and he was keeping his eyes on her. "Don't let me down." he warned her before moving to another essay that he simply categorized as average.

Caroline came out of the auditorium beaming, she had put so much effort into this assignment and some of the girls had said how hard the professor was to please so the big grade came loaded with pride.  
"Someone looks happy."

Caroline looked to the side clutching the paper when she saw Rebekah next to her. "What are you doing here?"  
Rebekah easily took the essay from Caroline's hand and nodded impressed. "Nik will be so pompous about his girl being all smarts and looks."

Caroline retrieved the paper with a hasty move. "Nik and I are just friends." she stuffed the essay inside one of her books.  
Rebekah laughed loudly and for the longest time, it became a roar and Caroline rolled her eyes leaving the other one still laughing.

"Friends..." Rebekah made this tiny fading sound as she tried to control her laughter. She waved at a couple of blonde boys. "I need your company, I have another errand." she said closely behind Caroline.

"I really don't want to go near naked men today." Caroline said discouraged.  
"You are saving yourself for Nik, that's so sweet."

"Is there a point to all this mocking routine? Because I'm really missing the point." Caroline hissed on the other woman's face.  
"Nik killed every man I ever loved."

"I'm deducing it was a really long list." Caroline teased the other.  
"Hanging out with you is like hanging out with the female version of my brother. It's like having a sister that I never had, except you will be incestuous with my brother soon." Rebekah smirked.

"We are just friends. With no benefits!" Caroline added before Rebekah had a go at another joke.  
"Such a nitpick like him... you can wait in the car." she easily cleared Caroline's dilemma.

"I thought you wanted my company."  
Rebekah shook her wavy hair with a hand. "I'm not going to ask again Caroline."

"You came looking for me..." Caroline cocked her eyebrow.  
"There's a fella watching us by the trees." Rebekah pointed behind the other blonde.

Caroline grimaced with a loud grumble. "That's Jesse; your brother decided that my shadow needed company. I'm trying to ignore his existence for now because I'm scared of what Klaus will do to him if he isn't needed anymore."  
"And that would be such a shame, Jesse is so good-looking."

"Do you want him? You can have him." Caroline adorably smiled and walked away.  
"I'll think about it." Rebekah smiled pondering the possibility.

* * *

"The elusive witch finally comes to my domains." Marcel enjoyed his drink while his men parted to give way to Leah.  
At least that's who he expected and not Elijah; the older vampire calmly took a seat in front of Marcel and rested his hand over the table. "She's not available right now, she is doing something for me."

"Is she working both brothers now?"  
"She is sizing her choices, which clashes with your sudden tantrum in finding her. I don't think I can let you judge, convict and kill this one Marcel."

Marcel moved on his seat and entangled his hands over the table. "When you came to me for help Elijah, saying that you needed one of my witches I didn't ask many questions. You assured me it was only to ensure none of you would perish after Kol did, as a favor to my sire I accepted it but I wasn't gagging to have Niklaus come to my town and snatch my empire away from me."  
"He finds your toy pretty for now but he will move on when he realizes there are greater things at risk."

"You are sounding like a really old broken record Elijah."  
"And you are excessively self-assertive for someone with so much to lose, what do you have besides this sand castle that you have created?"

Marcel clenched his jaw while Elijah smiled.  
"How many fronts are you protecting Elijah? Or even my sire? I count three at your house and with Rebekah in town, I count two at Niklaus'. I have vampires and no family."

"I would love to meet Davina, I've heard that she's a rebel like her sisters and as pretty as well."  
Marcel laughed unnaturally, accusing the jittery. "She can kill all of us in a rage attack so what's the point in using her as leverage against me? I am the only father figure she knows."

"Such smugness Marcel, I almost miss the shy humble boy who once swore loyalty to us." Elijah left the table closing his suit. "I asked Sophie something but I suspect someone contacted her after me and forged a different deal and ultimately a different spell with the deceased witch."  
"I wouldn't bother looking that far away Master Mikaelson, sometimes the enemy sleeps right next to you." Marcel scoffed.

* * *

**Mystic Falls **

Klaus eased on the racing car, he pulled to the side of the road when he saw the Sheriff waiting outside her car.  
When she started walking, he was certain she was waiting for him and stepped out of his car with a surprising edgy feel. "Sheriff Forbes."

She nodded once. "Klaus."  
"I was already on my way to leave town."

"I'm here because of Caroline." Liz looked around apprehensively. "I know that Silas made me do something to my daughter, I just can't remember what it was."  
"You haven't talked to Caroline?" Klaus was surprised.

Liz gave him a look. "She says that she's busy with college and that I'm imagining everything because I miss her so much."  
He couldn't help the smile; of course that Caroline would keep this to herself and avoid causing her mother pain for what really happened. "Caroline is safe." he assured her.

"She mentioned on the phone that she transferred to the New Orleans University?" Liz asked trying to read anything on his face.  
Klaus held it without a blink but didn't miss the way her hand slowly drifted to her gun, it would have amused him to no end but unexpectedly Klaus related to her, he had been caught in baffling acts to ensure Caroline's safety himself. "It was her choice." he felt the need to say.

Liz chuckled. "I have no doubt about that, I know my daughter."  
"She has a bit of fortitude that one."

"I was a horrible mother to Caroline, I neglected her most of the time and when I wasn't working I was judging her every breath when she simply wanted a mother. Not to mention how I gloriously screwed up by rejecting her when she became a vampire." Liz sighed her way through the unforeseen confession. "But the second I saw Matt carrying a dying Caroline in his arms because you sent her boyfriend to kill her there was a very violent wake up call." She used every ounce of her judging abilities and Klaus recognized Caroline in every single detail of her scowl.

And just like that the mighty hybrid was not that mighty and felt particularly uncomfortable before the human but things were only meant to get sour.  
"Second chances are a blessing." he was so happy with himself that he managed to smile.

The innocent look really didn't fit him at all and Liz took a very deep breath. "I wasn't expecting the chain of events that came after I invited you into my home so you could save my baby girl."  
_That makes us two_, he restrained from saying.

"I'm not sure where this conversation started and I'm fairly certain I don't know where it is leading…"  
The deep breaths were a thing with Caroline's mother and she also gripped her gun again. "I know that Caroline moved to New Orleans so she could be closer to you and that she's trying to figure out how she really feels about you…"

Klaus held his breath although his mind was a mess.  
Liz faced him like the brave warrior that she was. "I know that I'm an awful excuse of a mother but if you break my little girl's heart Klaus, I swear I will carve a white stake and I will hunt you down."

Klaus' smile came naturally and he even felt admiration for the woman now making her way back to her car. "I wouldn't be so harsh on yourself, Caroline is fortunate to have you as a mother."  
Liz looked back but the hybrid was already driving away. "Charming little bastard." she mumbled.

* * *

**New Orleans**

"I should have stayed in the car." Caroline grimaced.  
Rebekah wasn't too happy with the shady Bar either, the crowd was everything but appealing. "I'll be quick about it, I have to find someone called _John_."

Caroline sighed while Rebekah went to the pool tables looking for the man she spoke earlier on the phone with, she decided to have a drink while waiting and went to the counter, she asked for Tequila not bothering to look at who was sitting next to her.  
"Can I buy you that drink?" he asked her.

"No." she answered dryly glancing over to the man with a dreadful dirty biker look to him and had her drink kept to herself.  
"I haven't seen you here before. Are you alone or do I have some completion to worry about?"

Caroline sighed dropping her drink on the counter. "I don't need any help to cut off that hand that is about to make a big mistake." She looked down on the slimy hand about to touch her arm.  
"Do you know who I am?" he asked inches away from touching her.

"Judging by the awful fashion taste, the cocky attitude and loathsome vibe I'd say you are one of Marcel's men."  
"Blonde bombshell with a righteous attitude, are you the one that killed my friend the other day?"

"Do you want to join him?" Caroline asked with a slow snarl when he eagerly grabbed her arm.  
"Why don't you try pretty little thing?" he smugly smirked.

Caroline grabbed his hand twisting it and slammed his head against the counter, he screamed as blood poured out of his nose and snarled mad at her. She broke the bottle in front of him and held it against his neck waiting for a move but while he smiled the rest of his gang gathered up behind him.  
"Hold on for a second." Rebekah told John and grabbed a pool bat breaking it in two. "I have a friend to help." she said before killing the first vampire.

* * *

**Mystic Falls **

"Hey Jeremy, wait up man…" Matt had to stop to collect air.  
Jeremy squinted looking back. "Where's all that quarterback energy?"

Matt sighed. "I spent it all on an Original during summer."  
Jeremy cackled amused. "I don't even want to know the details plus we don't have much time."

Matt quickened his step going after Jeremy that made his way up the small ravine and stopped near the edge.  
"Are you going to stop being all mysterious and tell me why you just dragged me along for a two-hour walk through nature?" Matt asked looking down on the river.

Jeremy took the backpack dropping it to the ground. "Bonnie told me where Stefan spent his summer."  
Matt's face was a wonderful display of puzzled thoughts but he gasped looking down the abyss. "Stefan is down there?"

Jeremy handed Matt a rope. "And we have to find a way to get him out before Silas comes for us."

* * *

**New Orleans**

Klaus could hear the loud party from across the street, obviously Rebekah had decided to make herself at home and invite a few locals for free alcohol and ear-splitting music.  
He spotted the vampire waiting for him and greeted Marcel with a big smile. "Waiting to go inside or coming out already?"

Marcel unfolded his arms and pulled away from the car supporting his weight. "Your two blondes have been causing havoc among my congregation. Rebekah and Caroline killed 15 of my vampires today in a bar brawl and are now celebrating it in a very loud statement of how much they love to break my rules."  
Klaus burst into laughter; he touched his chest for a second trying to tame it. "I'm sorry Marcel, sometimes pride comes out in strange ways out of me."

"Tell them to stop killing my family." Marcel was not even smiling; he left a serious warning in the air before he walked away. "Also your brother Elijah is being a very talkative and nosy Original. He is preaching his sermon in every chapel and it's becoming extremely exasperating to avoid bumping into him in every corner."  
"Don't you miss being part of my family Marcel?" Klaus smiled deliciously spiking the other.

"I don't miss the Mikaelson drama."  
Klaus made this tiny little pleased sound. "My door is always open if you ever decide to hand over the city and come back to us."  
It was Marcel's turn to laugh as he walked down the street.

The party had a very nice crowd as Klaus noticed when he went inside his home, they seemed to be all human but he saw Jesse talking to someone across the room; Klaus stopped without mixing himself with the loud crowd, he stayed apart from it all watching his sister and Caroline. Absolutely unaffected by all, they danced with the others and laughed with a joy that was striking to witness. They looked happy but as much as the look was something new in Rebekah, his eyes followed the other blonde dancing without a care in the world; just like she was part of a dream that he couldn't even hope to be his.

He left them in the party and went to the library, on the way there his phone rang and he rolled his eyes before taking the call from Elijah. "What wise advice do you have to offer this time? Some suggestion about the name I should pick for the abomination? I'm inclined to choose Lucifer, I think it's a rather strong Southern name, don't you brother?"  
_"We should meet Niklaus, it's important."_

"The new royalty in New Orleans is throwing a party at the house, you should come over."  
Elijah held the silence on his side a little longer. _"I've compelled Sophie to tell me all she knew about this child of yours."_

Klaus paced quietly towards the mantel stopping there without speaking, he was counting every deep breath that his brother gave him in return before unraveling his findings.  
"_Before she died, Jane-Anne Deveraux performed a spell linking the unborn child to your bloodline Niklaus, if you harm this baby or Hayley…"_

Klaus clasped the phone in his hand facing the fire. "If I kill them, I die along with every vampire that comes from my blood." he ended the call immediately.  
Klaus rested his phone on the mantel, his inner turmoil was eating its way to a wrath that would escalate to everything he could kill on sight, he would paint the city red tonight.

"Hey." A cheerful joyful voice disrupted his carnage thoughts and Klaus closed his eyes instantly hating her for it.  
"You didn't stop to say hey." she added with a marvelous smile, he was certain of it but he couldn't turn to face her.

"You should go back to the party Caroline." Mentioning her name was already painful enough.  
"I don't want to, I had a lot of fun today and I really wanted to tell you about it."

"I know, Marcel said that you and Rebekah lowered the numbers on his army." he still didn't look at her.  
And she wasn't happy about it. "Well Bekah killed them and then Jesse showed up to help, I just threw in a few punches."

Her voice became lower and he could tell the joy was also fading. "I want to be alone Caroline." he kept his troubled look on the fire hoping she would simply go.  
But Caroline was far from being a quitter. "You know… if you really want to go back to being an ass the least you could do was face me."

A clean-cut, that's what he had to do. Be short and cruel would surely do the trick, slowly he turned around holding a steel look. "This _friends _thing is not working Caroline, you are being reckless with my sister and it's only adding to all my issues with Marcel, plus…" he licked his lips knowing the words would wound him more than her but they would make them both bleed. "… I'm afraid you are becoming too depended on me and what you think we have."

Only her eyes showed how much he just hurt her but still Caroline surprised him again with her courage. "Something happened or you wouldn't be lashing out like this."  
"Nothing happened, this is who I am." he sternly dropped the words with iciness.

She opened her mouth allowing the shock to fully hit her. "The man who told me about Henrik, how he held his little brother in his arms until he stopped breathing is who you are. Not this crappy show that you are putting up now." she called him out on his game. "The Alpha BS that you pull with the rest of the world doesn't work on me because I saw right through that need to control everything and manipulate everyone from day one. I'm sorry if your highly trained show means nothing to me because I know that you are only lashing out as a way to convince yourself you have some sort of control over something that you clearly don't. Whatever happened today, that has you pushing me away only tells me that you need me more than ever."

"I don't need anyone." The words left him like they didn't even belong to him, like he was on autopilot and simply going on for the ride.  
She refused to believe his cold tone, the harshness and the cruel way he was looking at her. "Your every action speaks against you."

"Stop with the cheap analysis and just leave Caroline." He looked away from her.  
But she had enough and went over to the fireplace taking one of the iron tools and took his hand angrily placing the iron on it. "Here, why don't you really lash out and kill me. Get it out of your system." she snapped at him.

Klaus eased up upon her pain at his display and from the heavy blow of her words.  
"Let's skip the part where you pretend you are not hurt and that you don't feel and jump right to the one where I tell you how much you infuriate me because no matter what colossal step you give, you always give a hundred steps backwards just to prevent that someone comes close enough."

Klaus turned to the fireplace and rested the iron next to his phone, the amount of courage that Caroline had to dig within every time she stood up to him aware that he could simply end her life in a heartbeat, didn't go unnoticed by Klaus at all. It was jarring to deal with that when he was forced to buckle before her in previous rare occasions, now that she was melting into his life it became clear to Klaus that he had no choice but to come clean with her and wait for the consequences.

"Elijah found out that the baby Hayley is expecting is also linked by a spell to my lineage so I can't do anything to them without sacrificing my entire bloodline." his voice was calm now, even sad.  
But Caroline was not composed at all. "Seriously? I hate that girl. Urgh" She paced around the library livid. "She has this poor ability to mess everything up, Tyler should have killed her in the damn mountains instead of bringing her home with him like a stray dog with really bad hair and fleas." She pointed at Klaus fiercely next. "And you? Of all the people in the world you could have slept with, did you have to choose the one girl that gives the homeless a run for their money?"

Klaus lost every ounce of coolness in him, he awkwardly recoiled before her. "It was a moment of very poor, unfortunate judgment."  
"_I don't do teen drama…_" Caroline mumbled mimicking Hayley's pouting tone. "More like cheap drama." Caroline left the library cursing the wereslut that plagued her life.

* * *

"Finally." Katherine said with a big smile as she came down the staircase. "You've been gone all day, I missed you." She sauntered her way to Elijah. "But I went shopping and there are a few things that you will love." She trailed his suit vest with her fingers but when she leaned over to kiss him, he stopped her.  
"Once again I learn about your deceiving games and I still find myself perplexed with them."

Katherine tensed. "You will have to be a little more specific, I have so many games…"  
"When I told you about my plan to find Niklaus a redemption that was also a key to unite my family again you vouched to help me and to make it happen."

Katherine pulled away from Elijah and went to the window; she started fixing the curtain like a true lady of the house. "He slaughtered my entire family, chased me for 500 years out of pure spite and you believed that I would help you find him some sort of happiness?"  
"I know now that I was delusional." Elijah admitted with sorrow.

"You will always place Klaus before everyone else in your life." She also admitted with heartache.  
Elijah came near the woman he loved and kissed her head. "I failed him when he was still human; I need to find a way to amend myself." He turned Katherine to him. "You asked the Deveraux witch to make sure the baby didn't survive just to make sure my brother suffered after he grew attached to this miracle offspring but she outdid the arrangement."

"I knew the bitch couldn't be trusted but then again Elijah…" she stroked his face with love. "Neither can I."  
Elijah gasped as she pushed a dagger into his heart; Katherine opened his suit as he fell to his knees and took his phone before he tumbled to the side lifeless.

"Marcel? The name is Katherine Pierce and I have a deal to forge with you, I also have one hell of a bargain gift for you." She looked down at Elijah.

* * *

The knock came exactly when she was fighting to catch Klausy, he was leaving white footprints all over the floor and she was stressing out with him.  
She was exasperated when she opened the front door and found Klaus standing there with puppy eyes. "What do you want now?"

He moved his hands from behind his back and handed her a bouquet of red and white roses. "We had a little spat, flowers are in order." He kept the puppy eyes and added an innocent smile.

Caroline wheezed and slowly took the flowers. "It's amazing how you downplay the bad moments we have and then emphasize on the good ones."  
"I strive on positivism." He said changing to a bastard smile.

Caroline shook her head but smelled the flowers with a small smile; it was the first time a man gave her flowers. "I like the roses; you are free to give them every time we fight." She adorably said holding back a bigger smile and went to put them on water.  
Klaus was able to smile with relief and came inside the house closing the door behind him, he caught Klausy on the way painting her floor and frowned pointing the little white paws to her.

She sighed. "I was painting a room and then he knocked down a paint can and now he is redoing my floors." Caroline smiled with malice. "_Artists_…"  
Klaus laughed with the innuendo and took a towel cleaning Klausy, the dog barked enthusiastically before fighting Klaus for the towel and he allowed the dog to win the fight leaving him entertained with it and went after Caroline that tried to clean the mess in an empty room.

"Why are you painting the room?" he asked confident that he just found the one thing that Caroline wasn't good at.  
"My mum called…" She devastatingly took a deep breath. "Bonnie's dad was found dead today and I just don't want her to stay in that town once we get her back. I won't let her stay in a house all alone again, my friend deserves better so I'm giving her a better life when I get her back… to life." Caroline pursed her lips looking at Klaus.

He smiled taking his jacket off. "I speak fluent _Caroline_ by now."  
She tilted her head at him releasing a very phony laughter.

Klaus picked the paint brush from the floor. "So you've decided to prepare a bedroom for her?"  
"Yes, with many colors. This wall will be white, then that one blue and this one here is going to be pink. The ceiling will be yellow or blue, I haven't made up my mind yet."

"I trust you will be compelling someone to do the job for you?"  
Caroline snatched the brush from his hand. "I'm doing it myself." She said with confidence and moved to the wall stroking the brush with a little flair to it.

She startled when Klaus gently rested his hand over hers.  
"This isn't a painting, you want the color consistent so you need to apply a little more strength to it love and keep the same pattern." He said in a low voice, tickling her face and keeping his hand over hers.

Caroline grazed her bottom lip with her teeth and half closed her eyes a bit dazed with his body so close to hers, she could feel his necklaces pressing her back and his heat pierced through his thin Henley but his really strong scent was the worst, it left her dizzy and she tried to focus on whatever it was that she was doing.  
_Painting._ Her mind delicately screamed at her.

"You left my house upset." He whispered.  
Caroline shrugged keeping her eyes on the wall that was becoming a blur in front of her. "Did I? I can't really remember why we fought anymore." And that was the truth, everything was a wonderful haze now that he shifted a little behind her back and rested a hand on her waist.

"I was my amiable self and you didn't put up with it at all and then you left truly upset because I was with someone else."  
Caroline shook her head. "Not just that Nik, you got her pregnant and now _Miss I have weird lips_ is a walking white stake with eyebrows." She snapped really pushing the brush against the wall with force.

Klaus laughed while his body was glued to hers and that was a new level of torture that Caroline didn't know before. "_Caroline dialect_ is so much more appealing than dull Aramaic."  
It made her laugh as well and he let her hand go, she faced him moving very little from where she was and he didn't move at all. "Is she a threat Nik?" she asked him vulnerable to a set of new feelings that he was dangerously seeding inside of her.

Klaus outlined a side of her face, he played with a little braid she made from a few strands of loose hair and then he sweetly cupped her chin, his thumb almost brushed her lower lip and she almost wished he did. "She will never be a threat, she never was sweetheart."  
Caroline smiled but she hated how blue his eyes were and how sturdy his body was and how she was noticing all these little things on top of how comfortable she was becoming around him.

* * *

**Soundtrack: **

Speaking In Tongues - _Eagles Of Death Metal _

Fear Me - (Revolver Soundtrack) - _Nathaniel Mechaly_

I like the way you move - _Bodyrockers_

Poison & Wine - _The Civil Wars_

Just let me - _Gabrielle Aplin_


	14. Coming of age

Klausy had his tiny paws up and crossed them lazily lost in the stroking pattern that Rebekah was making on his tummy.  
"Look at me, I'm so evil." Rebekah said with a slight pout.

"Fear me!" Caroline chuckled with the super sweet image of Klausy resting on his back surrendered to Rebekah's cuddling ways.  
"Thank you for bringing him today." The Original smiled at Caroline taking the coffee that the other just got them.

Caroline returned the smile and took a look around the busy environment surrounding them, she really liked New Orleans because it was such a live city and there was always music and agitation in the streets. A random street band went by the café where they were and Klausy opened his eyes jolting back on his feet curious about the noise, Caroline stroked his head and he shook his tale loving the attention.

"I hate leaving him alone at the house."  
"I could take care of him while you work on those really high grades to impress Nik."

Caroline lowered her eyes piercing Rebekah from the rim of her coffee cup. "I'm getting an education because I like using my brain, I'm not doing this for anyone but me."  
"You have a certain fixation on remaining human, no matter what." Rebekah said tapping the table, the noise made Klausy react and leave Caroline's touch searching Rebekah's fingers to nibble upon.

Caroline slowed the answer taking another long sip from her coffee. "I wasn't allowed any other choice Rebekah, from the second I was turned I _had _to be human and deal with everything as fast as they threw it at me. I had to adapt and have everything under control because everyone hated human Caroline but they didn't like Vampire Caroline either, so…" she shrugged.  
"Which one are you?" Rebekah asked with honest interest.

Caroline laughed quietly. "It's been a very long year so I'm not sure anymore."  
"I forbid you to go back to Mystic Falls; your friends are a bunch of narrowed minded tools that can't see past the double standards that they wave to protect a few while using the others as they please."

"You used Matt all summer." Caroline stroked Klausy's back pulling his interest back to her.  
Rebekah tilted her head. "It was a mutual deal, it was one of those _no strings attached _things…" she smiled with a little evil sting. "Klausy?" she sweetly called and immediately the little dog went to her.

Caroline focused on the dog but gave Rebekah a smile. "Come here Klausy."  
"Stay here little one." Rebekah called the dog to herself tenderly.

The little white Maltese was confused and barked between them unsure to which one to go; eventually he sat and rested his head over his paws watching both with his big puppy eyes.  
As one big metaphor hitting both, they understood that there would have to be some sort of compromise and that they would have to share not only the dog but the bigger wolf so fond of both.

"This should be stirring." Rebekah had another big sip from her coffee.  
"Is that what you tell yourself every time you fall in love?" Caroline beamed with malice.

Rebekah dropped the cup on the table and pulled her short dress a little lower. "I'm decided to turn things around; I will not be falling in love any time soon." She said with utter conviction.  
Caroline burst into a very loud and piercing laughter, she threw her head back and touched her chest only adding to Rebekah's uncomfortable hot seat.

"I will not get emotionally attached to anyone for now. I'm taking a pause from men… and women." She smiled so sure of herself.  
Caroline still laughed but there was a deeper laughter joining hers and both girls looked at Klaus as he sat with them.

"That means I will not have to throw any sad excuse of a lover over a balcony for the time being, I'm almost cheerless about it."  
Rebekah scolded her brother. "He was such a nice boy and you simply got rid of him like he was an empty blood bag."

"You found a useless replacement very fast…" Klaus squinted slanting on his chair. "I think I removed his head? I'm not sure; I always confuse that one with the brave soul that challenged me for a duel." Klaus laughed delighted with the hilarious memory.  
Rebekah grabbed Klausy. "I'm going for a walk before you bring up my honor."

"It's not nice to speak of things that we have no knowledge of." he said with a malevolent grin.  
Rebekah snarled upset before leaving but restrained from throwing the rest of the coffee at him.

Klaus smiled easily and amused, he looked at Caroline half expecting a glower but she surprisingly smiled sweetly at him. "Why did you spare Stefan? He was with Rebekah and yet you didn't harm him, just compelled him to forget that he was your friend."  
"He said I was a king among men, how could I harm him?" he leaned over immediately invading her personal space but she wasn't moving an inch away from him.

Caroline played with her smile and his eyes, she kept her arms folded on the table and flirted openly with him. "A ripper and a hybrid walk into a loud joint in the 20's…"  
"I liked Stefan until he became insufferably in love and increasingly dull as the woman he loved." he flirted back with her, his blue eyes toying dangerously lustful with hers.

"Don't you just hate when a man is capable of anything to prove his love?" Caroline asked while her big eyes lowered just a little bit finding his lips and staying there for a second.  
Klaus licked his lips aware that she was looking there. "Almost as much as I should hate a woman for making me work so hard."

Caroline looked down on the table and smiled coyly, her long eyelashes made the tiniest move before she looked up and she knew she had Klaus exactly where she wanted, the only problem here was that Caroline had no idea why she was seducing him without a big alarming sound behind it all. "Maybe you should get a new date for tonight then… someone less challenging." She adorably tilted her head.

Klaus laughed amused with her display of power. "I've never backed down on anything that I truly want Caroline."  
She followed him with her blue sparkling eyes as he left the table.

"I will see you tonight sweetheart."  
Caroline gently bit her lip checking him out as he walked away with all that natural swag.

"Can I get you anything else?" the sweet voice of the girl working in the café asked Caroline.  
"I'd like to have my perfect feathers ruffled… hard." She said absent-mindedly and playing with an earring.

"I'm sorry?" The girl asked with a heavy frown.  
Caroline woke from her drooling moment and smiled at the girl. "You didn't hear anything." She easily compelled the girl to forget what she just heard.

* * *

Caroline couldn't decide on the ties, she moved her index over the black ones but she wasn't too happy with those and decided on another color, she hated all the cream ones and moved to another row where the blue ties were. She settled there knowing this was going to take some time; Caroline took the shirt from one of the many bags she had and rested it against the ties; yes, blue was the right color but not simple blue, she wanted something different, unique like him.

"I can't decide if you are living out the wife fantasy or the mistress one." The stinging voice came without warning.  
Caroline froze, she shouldn't be so surprised since they were now both living in the same city but a face-off was something very distant from her mind today. "Which one are you recreating? The jealous one night stand that got pregnant and believes she has history now with Klaus?" she asked turning around to face Hayley.

The werewolf annoyingly smiled at her. "I'm not jealous of him, we are linked now. We have a little wolf in common." She whispered touching the little baby bump.  
"How proud you must be of yourself Hayley, you delivered twelve hybrids to slaughter, betrayed Tyler and got his mother killed; then you went and slept with the man who chased Tyler out of town. If you do all this to the man you love, I really pity the ones you don't like."

"You are so fake, how dare you judge me when you are there choosing clothes for Klaus?"  
Caroline padded the shirt against her chest, like she was somehow searching for his support during the confrontation with Hayley. "Tyler is playing _George of the Jungle_ in the woods and he obviously cares more about his werewolves than he does about me and though it took me a long time I've decided to move on. I'm not waiting for someone who spent his summer helping you."

"You must be so resentful that everyone prefers the wolves instead of the dead vampire girl."  
"Resentful? And I thought you couldn't read but there you are ready to prove me wrong. Hayley sweetheart, I wouldn't trade being who I am because I like being a vampire, I like being strong and not having to depend on a womb to survive. If it wasn't for that child that you are using now against us, you would be dead and I would be sipping on champagne with the hottest man in New Orleans…. Wait, what are you doing tonight? Scraping the garbage?" Caroline asked with an acid smile.

"It wouldn't be the first time, believe me. I wasn't fortunate enough to grow up surrounded by futile things and money. I didn't have the fancy dresses and friends… I didn't even have parents." Hayley looked sad.  
Caroline circled her finger in front of Hayley's face. "No, the Club of sad girls with sad stories is closed and you can't be part of it. My friends back at home can beat any sappy story that you come up with so we're done here." She turned her back on Hayley and went back to the ties.

"I'm not going anywhere Caroline and in six months this baby is coming out and since Sophie can't reverse the spell I'm stuck with Klaus and he is stuck with me, there's not enough room for the nanny."  
Caroline clutched a few ties in her hand; she didn't look after Hayley as the peasant left but the future mother left a terrible vibe in the air and Caroline felt troubled by it and she had to something about it.

"Do you need help?" An elegant woman asked next to Caroline.  
"No… I know exactly what I want." Caroline smiled at the girl and grabbed a beautiful dark blue tie with plaid light blue that gave it an edgy look; it also matched the color of her dress.

"Sometimes the right choice is just there, in front of you all along." The girl softly said taking the tie that Caroline handed her.  
Caroline looked at the girl truly taking in her words and God, did they make sense… everything erupted inside of her and Caroline had to act on all the things rousing inside before they cooled down. "I need all this delivered at this address." Caroline scribbled Klaus' address on the price tag and compelled the girl, handing her all the bags she had.

She left the store rushing back home and to her car, she made a call on the way knowing he wouldn't pick up at first but she kept trying until he finally took her call.

* * *

Hayley tossed her bag to the couch with a fit. "Elitist, judging cold bitch with a superiority syndrome." She cursed under her breath.  
"Are we feeling a bit threatened by others with better traits?" Klaus smirked walking into the room.

"Haven't you heard? I'm the biggest hazard around here now."  
He nodded walking very slowly. "Hence my visit." He stopped in front of her.

She felt uncomfortable with the proximity but tried to put up some decent fight. "I'm going to find out tomorrow if it's a boy or a girl." She tried to appeal to his sensitive side.  
"I don't like repeating myself so I will only say this once Hayley." His voice was controlled, there was no rage or anger or even disdain. He was simply formal and as he spoke. "You will search within yourself for all the strength that you need and you will be the best mother that has ever existed. You will carry out this pregnancy with extreme care and caution and you will not put yourself in harm's way; as a reward for your cooperation I will allow you and this child that you still claim to be mine, to live."

"Are you going to search for a way to break this spell that links us all?"  
"I'm handling things the only way I know but I doubt that the Deveraux witch simply relied on someone, including me, to kill that baby."

"So you think she made sure the baby wouldn't survive, like Katherine wanted all along."  
He wasn't sure if the sadness Hayley was throwing at his feet was real but he couldn't relate to any of it, he had far bigger problems to worry about. "Honor your part of the deal; leave the planning and execution for the big wolves." Klaus turned away from her ready to leave the house.

"By the way, your brother Elijah has been missing for a few days now."  
"And Katherine?" Klaus asked from the door.

"Gone to Mystic Falls to handle a few family affairs."  
Klaus nodded. "Time to childproof the mansion now that you are all alone in it." Klaus pointed to the outlets on his way out.

* * *

Caroline looked back at her car, she was about to lose complete sight of it as she went further into the dense woods; after another deep breath she carried on. The first sounds became audible after a few minutes and Caroline didn't anticipate what she found at all; on a big clear meadow she found a group of men and women playing football, they were laughing and the longer she looked at them, the closer they seemed to her.

Someone just made a touchdown and there was a big party because of it but the other part of the group laughed instead of being upset and they went back to the middle of the field ready to start all over again.  
No one seemed to be bothered that she was spying on them and Caroline spotted the man standing a little aside from everything, he looked just like a leader watching them and smiled at her when their eyes met. She motioned her head a little asking him to follow her and Tyler left his pack to go after her.

* * *

**Mystic Falls**

Matt dropped the broken chains on the ground. "This isn't working Jeremy." He looked up at the Gilbert that just left the cabin of his van.  
"We've tried everything so far but not even your car is strong enough to pull that steel coffin up."

"It's time to call Damon and Elena, they are vampires and we need them."  
Jeremy shook his head at once. "Silas would read their minds and find out what we are up to."

"Do you want to get Stefan back or not?" Matt scolded him taking the phone to call Elena.  
The second the call went through there was a piercing sound and Matt dropped his cell on the ground clutching his head, Jeremy was doing the same and trying to see anything as he lifted his head; Silas greeted them both with a sly smile and nothing but his mind controlling them both.

"I like where my shadow self rests at the moment, can we all forget that he is there?"  
"I don't think so." Bonnie said behind Silas.

He mused looking back at the witch. "I'm giving you a chance to back down before I really get mad."  
Bonnie made this vicious sound and all around her leaves trembled on the ground. "I was slightly touchy a few hours ago, now I'm just borderline pissed."

Silas smiled cruelly and Matt was tossed in the air flying until he hit a tree and dropped to the ground unconscious. "Next is your boyfriend."  
Jeremy stood up shaking, able to see Bonnie but not recognizing the dark smile in her.

She moved her hand in the air and he barely had time to plunge to the ground dodging something heavy that crashed on top of the roof of Matt's van, Jeremy stood up perplexed looking at the steel prison that held Stefan.  
Silas simply flashed and pinned Bonnie to the ground ruthlessly crushing her throat with a tight grip. "Time to die again."

Bonnie buried her fingers into the dirt next to her body and closed her eyes, the leaves covered her hand and Silas felt the ground shake beneath them. He was puzzled with all the energy coming from her and when she opened her eyes she scared him.  
Nothing but black eyes looked at him and with a simple smile she gracefully laced her fingers around his wrist making his skin burn with her touch. "Let go off me." She said in the most eerie voice.

Silas clasped his lips in pain trying to fight her but she was strong and drawing energy from all the nature around her, with a hiss he released her and she easily pushed him away from her.  
Bonnie cleaned the dirt from her hair and straightened her black top as she stood up. "Show some respect, I'm a Bennett."

He scorned her affirmation with a loud laughter. "Once you've known one, you've known them all."  
She held her head high as he walked away allowing her to enjoy the first win in a very long war ahead of them.

Jeremy could barely comprehend half of what just happened but he climbed the van to open the safe, water came out and Jeremy took Stefan's head under his hand pulling him out of safe enough to check on him.  
"How is he?" Bonnie asked walking to them but Kol showed up.

"Hello sexy thing, loving the new dark look darling."  
"Get out of my way Kol."

"Now that you finally came around to our side, it's time to meet the old sorceress and move things along. Silas will strike back and it won't be pretty."  
Bonnie glanced over to Jeremy struggling to get Stefan out of the box; she frowned when Kol stepped in front of her line of sight. "Eyes on me darling which shouldn't be hard since I know how handsome I am."

"What do you want Kol?" She growled at him.  
"To leave this dimension and go back to the real world."

"And you want my help?" She asked smugly.  
"I want a little more than that, if that's all right with your boyfriend."

"I can hear you, you know?" Jeremy angrily said from the top of the car.  
Kol smiled. "Your girlfriend is hot and you are obviously tedious."

"And you are a sick ghost that needs to stay away from her."  
Kol chuckled wiggling his eyebrows at Bonnie. "Are you aroused yet? I'm about to challenge him into a gentleman's quarrel."

"You are obnoxious." Bonnie said upset and there was a strange gush of wind.  
"You need to tame that temper darling; I want to go back to a world with live people in it."

Jeremy was too focused on the clash unfolding in front of him and missed the moment Stefan shot his eyes open, Bonnie startled when Jeremy screamed painfully because Stefan sank his fangs into his arm.  
Stefan greedily took all the blood he could from the arm in front of him but there was a struggle to stop so he tossed Jeremy away; the boy landed on the ground.

"I'm sorry Jeremy." he said tiredly and hating himself for what he just did.  
"Its... ok... but we should keep this from Elena." Jeremy tugged his arm against the chest.

"Elena." Stefan breathed with a sigh and then smiled. He swiftly left the coffin and flashed away to find her before Jeremy could stop him.

* * *

"They really look like a pack." Caroline smiled at Tyler as they walked back to her car.  
"I've been trying to help them realize they are not alone, once we trigger the curse the first thing that we feel is that we are alone and I want to change that. None of them need to do this alone anymore."

Caroline's smile grew. "Look at you Tyler Lockwood, from making horrible alcohol in your garage to inspirational Guru."  
He laughed shaking his head. "The really bad alcohol was the only good thing about the parties; they made us forget which was a blessing."

It was her turn to laugh and she did it with will. "I like vintage bourbon now."  
Tyler stopped near her car. "I was surprised by the visit Care."

Caroline played with her car key, she lingered her eyes there gathering her thoughts. "I came to tell you something Tyler."  
"You are breaking up with me officially." He spoke before she even formed the sentence in her mind.

But she looked at him owing him at least that. "We started this together, undertaking the real monster that we both became. We grew up together in a way and I wouldn't have made it without you Tyler…"  
He smiled slumping against her car with his hands inside the Jeans. "But we went in separate ways."

"You may think that I gave up on you Tyler but I never did, I kept waiting that you would find me as important as you were to me, that I would matter more than the rest that you went after."  
Tyler hated the small hint of tears in her voice.

"I kept holding on to something Tyler and even when Klaus came after me and seduced me, I still tried to hold on to you."  
He looked at her hand as she retrieved something from her pocket, he gasped when Caroline handed him the bracelet he gave her for her birthday and reached for it with a trembling hand. "But I wasn't there…" he whispered.

"I'm going to make a lot of mistakes and get hurt but I will do all the things that I have safely planned to avoid doing. And I'm going to have fun for a change." She opened her door ready to leave her past with him.  
He held her door with a smile. "You were worth fighting an ancient Alpha, you were worth every second I've spent with you because Caroline Forbes, you are that amazing and I wouldn't have done it without you. I would have taken the easy way out and cowardly ended my life if you weren't there during my first shifts."

Caroline fought the sting in her eyes and leaned over kissing Tyler's lips softly as their final goodbye. "Help as many as you can, I understand now that this is something you need to do."  
"And you need to carry on with your life so…" he cradled her face with glistening eyes as well. "I promise I will never think of you again and I will stop loving you and I won't be a bit jealous of the next man who dances with you and holds you close."

She smiled a little through her fat tears that now came down her cheeks and nodded unable to speak, Tyler sighed before he collected the enough power to let her go.  
Caroline got inside her car and drove away crying because it was painful growing up but she turned her radio up and was happy that Tina Turner was pushing her forward.

* * *

"She's not coming." Rebekah informed Klaus as she reached the bottom of the staircase, she closed her small handbag and looked at her brother finishing the knot on his tie and picking the blue suit jacket from the couch. He didn't say a word as he closed the suit but she could tell how upset he was that Caroline had vanished all day and wasn't answering any calls.

She got ready to leave when Caroline stormed inside the house taking her jacket off. "I need 20 minutes." She yelled running up the stairs.  
Rebekah grimaced with Klaus' annoying smirk. "I will be taking my car." She told Klaus headed for the door while he poured a drink waiting for Caroline.

* * *

**Mystic Falls **

"You know that I'm stronger than you so why are you fighting me on this?" Damon asked with a sigh.  
Elena shrugged playing innocent. "You bring out the rebel in me."

Damon grunted and grabbed her rolling them over; Elena laughed happily under him and giggled when he added another grunt trying to prove who the male was in bed. She allowed him the small tantrum because he made her smile and forget about all the bad things that kept happening in her life.  
"I love you Damon." She stroked his face and ran her fingers through his thick black hair.

"You are my life Elena." He spontaneously said.  
Elena's eyes came to life with a sparkle of love and she kissed him ever so sure of her choice.

Stefan listened to everything on the other side of the door, now he remembered that she chose his brother instead. He looked at the picture in his hands; a time where he had been happy with Elena before it all crumbled down. Everything was different now and Elena was happy with his older brother, in the midst of all this stood his broken heart and an effort to recall a time where he had been truly happy. There wasn't much going through his mind as he dropped the picture on the floor of the living room and left the house that meant nothing to him but a painful diary of his life; nothing but memories lived in this house now and they all belonged to the human girl he loved with all his heart but that Elena was dead now and in a way so was he.

* * *

Klaus gulped down the second Caroline showed up on top of the staircase, she came down wearing a bandage dark blue dress that had long sleeves and finished just below her knee; she smiled and gave him a small spin once she reached the main floor.  
"Do I look classy enough for a Masquerade Ball? I tried to stay away from the Prom and school dances look that I'm so used to." She toyed with her age bluntly and left him speechless.

The dress was very tight and unlike the full covered front, it had a long V opening in the back that reached her ivory lower back; her hair was neatly fixed in a curly waterfall braid that made the bouncy golden curls come to life against the naked back.  
Klaus needed to drink, he needed to get that Scotch into his mouth and harshly allow the alcohol to restart his brain but right now nothing was working.

A small smirk escaped Caroline, she was happy with her look because it was the first time she felt like a woman before him instead of a school girl or a princess wearing something _he _chose. This time Caroline stood before Klaus like a confident young woman ready to be seduced but holding the control on her side and seducing him without being a distraction, she knew what she was doing and that confidence showed in every steady step she gave towards him in the red velvet stilettos.

"I'm taking the speechless reaction as a very big compliment." She whispered.  
"There was a drink I should be drinking and many admiring comments that should be leaving my mouth." His voice wasn't that loud either.

Caroline reached for his drink and took it with a smile. "I can help with the drink…"  
Klaus laughed and she laughed along with him, they had found their niche; this is where they were comfortable around each other, when small gestures and whispered words were framed between long gazes and easy smiles; if she was forced to admit, this was their _thing_. To speak without speaking, to bare a soul without fear.

"You look very beautiful tonight Caroline." He finally got the praise out of the way and reached inside his suit retrieving a small red box. "Indeed we are done with the high school theme dances and I don't have a corsage but…" he opened the box pulling a soft gasp from Caroline. "… there has been a request for earrings?"

Caroline made a small whimper staring at the perfect diamond earrings, she was about to touch them when she narrowed her eyebrows and looked at him. "Did you get these from the same Princess?"  
"Cartier, down on Royal Street." He blatantly enjoyed the quick change in Caroline, he was definitely aroused by the sudden empowerment in her but he was in love with the candid child so innocently part of her personality.

She snatched the box from his hand and rushed to change earrings in front of the first mirror she found; they were too stunning, they reminded her of two small rain drops and they were blue shaded which meant they were rare and outrageously expensive.  
Caroline pulled away from the mirror and to the man waiting for her; she took his arm ready for her big night.

* * *

Caroline held on to his arm a little tense when they were about to go inside the Ball, it was after all her first big party outside the world she knew and mastered. In here, she didn't know anyone and the environment was strange to her, a few people wearing elaborated masks and costumes just went in ahead of them and Caroline started doubting if going for the classic look was a good choice, honestly the costume choice didn't even go through her mind. She couldn't picture Klaus wearing a costume and she wasn't a fan of those unless it was Halloween, but then again the small experience she had from this kind of party came from her Mystic Falls résumé.

One of the annoying traits about Klaus was that he was able to read her mind, so she wasn't surprised that he leaned over and whispered in her ear. "We are all wearing our masks tonight sweetheart, the true beast that we should be sauntering with pride rests carefully hidden from those with shortcomings."  
Caroline giggled. "I'm not a beast, I'm a lady Nik." She corrected him with the biggest smile.

"My Sire finally arrives and with a dashing partner by his side." Marcel greeted them loudly as soon as they came inside the big ballroom.  
"Nice party." Caroline dryly said after quickly scanning the room. "But I would have chosen a different light. And the humans dancing barely clothed on a stage?" she cocked her eyebrow. "A bit tacky of you, isn't it…"

"Is there a chance that you might come to like me Caroline?"  
Caroline smiled. "You sent your vampires to kill me during my first day of college. And everywhere I turn there's one of them impersonating everything I hate about a man; now from what I've heard you instigate all this as a way to keep the witches in town under control but I'm one of those that really like calling things for what they are so all that I see is a lame man keeping a short leash on every powerful woman in town as a way to feel like a real man."

"So that's a no?" He asked with a terrible dark amusement.  
"It's a, _I hope you take a walk under the sun without a ring very soon_." She smirked and left him with Klaus.

"She really doesn't hold back, does she?" Marcel asked Klaus still looking after Caroline.  
"I know, she's extraordinary." Klaus beamed with pride.

"She's hot and she speaks her mind, she reminds me of your sister." Marcel faced Klaus with a smile. "Where is she by the way?"  
"You know Rebekah, she always enjoys to make an entrance." Klaus deliciously smirked knowing she was about to arrive.

Marcel felt the blood drain out of him when he looked at the door; Rebekah just arrived in a hot black dress with her date. "What is that?"  
Klaus casually looked at the door. "I believe she is the devil and sweet Camille is the angel?"

Marcel gritted his teeth furious with Rebekah's nerve, she brought Camille to a vampire party and his sweet human was oblivious to everything. He paced to them fast and tried to pull a smile.  
Camille melted as soon as she saw him. "Marcel."

"Cami… I wasn't expecting to see you here."  
She grimaced a little and looked at Rebekah. "Your friend said that you wanted to see me."

"May I speak to you Rebekah?" He shot his eyes to the Original watching the two lovesick tools with a nasty smile.  
"I would love to dance, thank you for asking." She gave her hand to Marcel that hastily took it, he pulled her along the room and then harshly against his chest.

"Marcel… don't start anything that you don't intend to end." She purred stroking the back of his neck.  
"You compelled her?" Marcel hissed with anger.

"Only after I told her a few things about our past."  
"Like how you convinced Niklaus to turn me?" He called her out on the lie.

Rebekah shrugged. "You shouldn't waste a good story with the truth."  
"What else did you tell her?"

She sighed. "Only that I was your first woman and that I taught you all those moves that she hopes you will show her one day. She is in love with you by the way; it only took my heel pressed to her jugular for her to confess."  
"What happened to you?" Marcel asked softly now. "You were so sweet Rebekah but now I don't know you anymore, compelling a human and using her against me? That's why you and Klaus will always be alone; there is no limit with any of you."

He heaved away from her but she pressed his shoulder and his hand in hers, keeping him where he was. "You are in love with a dumb human that doesn't use vervain and that believes you are not capable of breaking her in two the first time you are with her so you make my life easy and the sweet girl you once swore to marry, went very sour the second you chose immortality over me."  
Marcel gulped down his shame and stayed in the dance floor unable to look at Rebekah as she strutted away from him; he knowingly concealed all that when one of his men neared him and whispered something in his ear.

* * *

Rebekah rudely interrupted a heavy eye flirtation when she approached Klaus and Caroline, she took Caroline's champagne glass and drank it fast, then she took Klaus'. "This better work because I'm seconds away from killing Marcel."  
Caroline frowned between Rebekah's words and Klaus' scold. "What did I miss?"

"An entire day." Rebekah huffed upset. "Where were you?"  
Caroline pressed her lips into a very thin line. "College…"

"It's Sunday." Rebekah reminded her.  
"I… had… a group thing." Caroline cleared her throat and then smiled.

"Like an orgy?" Rebekah asked clueless.  
Caroline tilted her head. "Seriously Bekah?"

The blonde gave up and went looking for Camille, she was in charge of distracting Marcel tonight.  
The focal point for Klaus rested as well with the small agitation regarding Marcel and his men which meant that his plan was on the move, he glanced at Caroline finding her with crossed arms and staring at him. Obviously she expected an explanation.

"This is a Ball and we should be dancing." He cunningly smiled and took her waist guiding her to where other couples were.  
She waited for her intense dance and to get lost in his eyes but not even his carriage was that good, he was barely keeping a frame with her and his eyes were somewhere else just like his attention. "How many plans do you have ongoing while we are attending this really boring party?"

He briefly looked at her smiling. "Two, I tried to go for three but you should never bite more than you can chew."  
"Do you want to share any of them?" She asked hoping he would center his attention on her.

"Elijah and Katherine are missing." He said squinting when Marcel ordered two of his men to leave the building.  
"Maybe they eloped." She moved one hand over the velvet lapel of his suit keen on winning his interest.

He stayed with her this time when he looked at her. "He is too invested on the _teenwolf drama_ living under his roof so my bet is that Katherine flipped sides again and Marcel has something to do with my brother gone absent."  
Caroline smiled leaving his hand and lacing both arms around his neck, she even melted her body closer to his. "So plan number one is to find out if Marcel does have Elijah and if he does, why hasn't he come rubbing that in your face yet?"

Klaus parted his lips with a proud smile and he made her shiver by resting his hands on her waist, he moved his hands a bit up her back and touched the skin her steamy dress allowed him. "He is too arrogant to hide something that big."  
"How well do you know Marcel?"

"I took him in when he was a little boy, he was part of my family for the longest time until we parted ways right here in New Orleans."  
"I know all that Nik, you told me." She didn't hide the small victory smile that he was so easily opening up to her. "But you said that you all believed that Mikael killed him." Caroline's voice dropped to nothing but a whisper. "Don't you find it strange that Mikael would spare Marcel? You are a thousand times more powerful than Marcel and you barely survived Mikael but Marcel somehow managed? He built an entire kingdom and he isn't too quiet about it so what if he wanted this all along and he told Mikael where you were so that he would chase you all away and leave the city for Marcel?"

"Is that why you don't like Marcel?" he asked after Caroline's strong point stroke a chord.  
Caroline smiled lowering the long black eyelashes, it was such a long list but she didn't want to talk about Marcel now; she lifted her eyes searching for his and her hand did the unthinkable, she got her fingers lost in his hair and batted her eyelashes once, hopping that would do the trick.

But she lost her balance when Klaus hauled away from her, it took her a good few seconds to assimilate the disheartened outcome of her first real move towards him but strangely she wasn't that surprised. She knew he was about to speak so she did the only thing that she knew best, she protected herself by turning away and leaving him before he saw how rejected she felt.  
Klaus instantly tried to redeem his bad move by following her but Marcel cut his way.

"Two of my vampires are dead, five of Leah's witches perished and a powerful weapon of mine was unleashed to the world. I'm not happy."  
"Do you still have any men left Marcel?" Klaus ignored the undertone to a threat building up in the air.

"You and Leah are working together and you used this party to attack my vulnerable home."  
"You shouldn't throw the big parties if you don't have a clue of what you are doing. This was nothing but a silly attempt to show how regal you have become with the futile party and the fancy suit Marcel. I raised you better than this; use your head if you really want to impress me, I'm not easily blinded by idle power like the blonde my sister is getting highly intoxicated."

"Davina escaped the attic so tomorrow there will be thousands of heads rolling down the Bayou."  
Klaus laughed. "Now that's my kind of a party Marcel, tomorrow we have fun old friend." he said loudly as he rushed out of the dreadful party.

* * *

Caroline closed the front door and walked determined to her car, she could see his racing up the driveway but she didn't stop and shoved her things into the back seat with a snapping attitude that he didn't miss as he stepped out of his car.  
"I expected to return home with my date, not to follow the taxicab."

Caroline slammed the door shut. "I expected a lot more from tonight but hey, here's to plans and schemes and how important they are to you."  
"Caroline…" he sighed.

Which really enraged her. "Seriously Klaus? I spent the entire night flirting and seducing you, have you looked at me?" she snapped holding her hands in front of her. "I look hot." She pointed to the ground with her index. "I look _really _hot and it took me an entire week to prepare this look to the tiniest detail and I gave closure to all my past affairs today and I really wanted my perfect night and yes, it included a kiss that you just… Urgh." She threw her hands in the air. "All that time chasing after me and when I finally make a move you just shut me down and… Urgh." She yelled unable to form proper angry words. "I didn't even get a decent dance and I tried really hard to be all woman like and y…"

Caroline's angry speech was cut short because Klaus paced quickly to her and cupped her cheek pressing his lips against hers.  
She slowly opened her eyes in a daze when he eased the pressure on her lips and stroked her cheek.

"I didn't want our first kiss to be under Marcel's gawk." He tugged her waist with his arm.  
"And our second one?" her voice was barely audible.

Klaus smiled tilting her head a little and sweetly pressed her soft lips again, Caroline moved her arm under his and rested her hand on his back pressing him to her, her other hand found his hair knotting her fingers with it and she parted her lips for Klaus allowing him to really kiss her.  
One hand got lost slowly under the wall of blonde heaven that was her hair and then his tongue teased hers before they melted together in the most amazing long kiss that neither wanted to break.

Klaus reacted to the way she answered his kiss with honest raw passion by pinning her closer to him and Caroline really loved how the skin in her back burned under his powerful touch, how everything felt just _that_ kind of right and epic.

* * *

**Soundtrack: **

Simply falling - _Iyeoka _

Think I need it too - _Echo & The Bunnymen _

Monsters demons – _Skye _

When I was your man – _Bruno Mars_

I'm ready – _Tina Turner_

Make me fall - _Nina Nesbitt_


End file.
